Women in Red 3
by Clocktower
Summary: After parting ways with Ada Wong, Claire Redfield gets a job as Ashley Graham's bodyguard. Things happen between them, but Ashley is kidnapped by an unknown group. Claire is sent to look for her, and meets Ada once more.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's note: Just be aware there's a flashback in the middle, here. I'd put in spaces to indicate that, but the site knows best and won't let me do it.  
**

**Chapter One.**

The backwoods of Spain looked like no postcard Claire Redfield had ever seen. She rode in the backseat of a musty smelling police cruiser being driven by two of the most boorish cops she'd ever met. The view of gray skies and trees carrying brown crinkled leaves reflected her mood, which was broken only by the lecherous backward glances of the cops.

As she often did when feeling gloomy, she turned her mind towards Ada Wong, a woman she'd spent several months with stealing secrets from pharmaceutical companies such as Umbrella Inc. They'd been lovers of a sort, their relationship nothing short of sheer madness, having begun during a nightmare and ended in another.

-And did I learn my lesson?- she wondered to herself now, as she had many times. -Of course not. And now here I am, riding in the back of a police car in the middle of nowhere with two sleazebags.- She decided to think about her latest mistake, or at leas the parts she'd enjoyed.

Claire Redfield was assigned to be Ashley Graham's bodyguard two years after her father was elected president of the United States of America. Claire expected her to be an annoying, spoiled princess, and while Ashley was certainly accustomed to the good life, Claire found her to be smart, respectful, and generally a decent person.

Naturally the president's young, attractive daughter had been subject to a high level of attention from the media and other unpleasant people. At first she was surrounded by a small army of Secret Service agents, more so than her father got on some occasions. This presented problems both in terms of cost and visibility.

Some of the best security firms in the world were contracted to solve the issues surrounding the president's daughter. They came up with a plan that involved reducing the amount of agents guarding her, but placed one agent with her at all times. The challenge was finding someone who could spend the time with Ashley and be a bodyguard without looking too much like a bodyguard.

That person happened to be Claire, who'd found herself in the government's employ whether she liked it or not. Her brother, Chris, had recommended her for the job, having promised her easy, low-risk work. She had her doubts, but all she had to do was be around Ashley Graham at all times and let the Secret Service keep the mobs back during public appearances. The security and public relations firms had advised giving the media something to work with on occasion to keep them appeased, and Ashley liked the spotlight in small doses.

Sometimes when Claire looked at a mob of howling Ashley Graham fans all she saw were rotting hands and teeth yearning to devour the girl's guts.

Ashley kept a busy schedule, making public appearances and pursuing her education. She had a stubborn streak when it came to one thing, and that was where she went and when she went there. Being an eighteen-year-old woman, no one had the legal right to tell her different, and that was how Claire got to know her best. They shared hotel rooms, dorm rooms, tour buses, and once a tent when Ashley insisted on visiting Yellowstone National Park. Against orders, Claire became friends with the girl. It was overlooked, as some felt it made Claire better at her job.

The pair talked about everything, and one night Claire told Ashley, in a whisper, what really happened in Raccoon City. Ashley had nodded along, but Claire knew her well enough to know she didn't really believe, which was just as well.

Talking with Ashley made Claire forget about Ada Wong, and later she would think that's exactly what led her to make the same mistake twice. When Ashley started college, she and Claire shared a dorm room and fell into the habit of talking long into the night. After the first week, once she was settled, Ashley began talking about the men she'd met on campus and said she was worried.

"About what?" Claire asked.

"Well...dad never let me get out all that much. Not by myself. He was a senator when I was in high school, so I guess I just never had much time for boys."

"You've got time now," Claire said, thinking about her own short college career. "That's pretty much how most people spend half their freshman year."

"Yeah, but I'm the president's daughter. Who's going to want to get involved with me that isn't some opportunistic creep?"

Claire shrugged. "Could be fun, you never know."

That earned her a playful swat across the knee. They were sitting cross legged on opposite sides of Ashley's bed. "I wouldn't know what to do with a guy anyway," Ashley said. "Imagine _that_ in the tabloids. Ashley Graham: Bad kisser."

"Kissing? Please. You mean to tell me _you've _never kissed a boy?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ashley said. "I mean, I've kissed people, sure, but..."

"There's nothing to it," Claire said.

"I have no idea where to begin," Ashley said. "I've seen it. It looks like you try to eat the other person's mouth, but there's got to be more to it than that."

An image of lipless zombies flashed in Claire's mind and tried to banish it by looking at Ashley's un-zombie-like face. She had a smooth complexion, round cheeks, and all of it framed by short blond hair. Claire thought she could see something being considered behind the girl's almond-brown eyes and decided she'd be the one to say it.

"I could show you," Claire said.

Ashley's cheeks turned red. "You could?" She looked around as though someone might be watching. "Wouldn't that be weird? Is kissing a girl the same as kissing a guy?"

"Girls kiss better," Claire said. "It might spoil it for you."

Ashley's eyes went wide, then narrowed while she smiled. "Alright," she said, looking around. "Show me what to do."

Claire leaned forward, inches from Ashley's face and licked her lips. "Copy what I do," she said, pressing her lips against Ashley's. She slipped her tongue into the other girl's mouth and ran it over her teeth, then let the action be repeated on her. Ashley's fears of being a bad kisser proved unfounded. She got the idea quickly and was soon performing her own tongue tricks. Claire ended up on her back, enjoying the clean taste of Ashley's mouth, but they stopped when her shirt became unbuttoned.

"You get the idea," Claire said.

"Yeah," Ashley replied.

Once apart they didn't speak for the rest of the night and exchanged few words the following day. A few days later things had returned to normal, then on another night, not unlike the first, Ashley asked to practice kissing again.

"Are you sure?" Claire asked.

"I'm sure," Ashley said. "You can't do something once and expect to be good at it."

Events repeated themselves up until Claire was on her back with the white t-shirt she wore pulled high up towards her chest. Unlike the last time, Ashley didn't stop, and instead began to nuzzle Claire's torso, bellow her breasts.

"Ashley," Claire said. "This..."

"Is practice," Ashley said, pushing Claire's shirt up higher. "No harm done."

Claire let it happen and felt as though she'd leapt off a tall building. The decision had been made, the action taken, and now gravity would do its work, leaving her to feel free until the inevitable consequence rushed up to meet her. As she fell and felt Ashley's caresses, kisses, and other affections, thoughts of Ada Wong, zombies, and monsters left her. How long the fall lasted she couldn't say; it was both quick and never ending.

"This should stay between you and me," Claire said when it was over. She was naked and sweating on the bed with Ashley lying off to her side, her head resting bellow Claire's breast.

"My lips are sealed," Ashley said.

What happened that night became routine. During the day they became more distant to avoid suspicion, like drunks driving twenty miles under the speed limit for fear of getting pulled over. It was agony for them both, and at night, once alone, they made up for the deficit of affection with interest. It was during the day, and sometimes in the night after the lovemaking, that Claire's mind swirled with thoughts of Ada, and how this was something she would do.

Several times she made up her mind to request a transfer, but her conviction was only strong during the day, away from Ashley. She would not put in the request before breaking it off, and so the state of affairs carried on.

For her sophomore year, Ashley decided she wanted to study abroad in Europe. This gave Claire a bad feeling, who had learned to trust these sensations when they came on, but Ashley's stubbornness won out in the end. To top it off, rumors about Ashley Graham and her young body guard were beginning to gain traction. Nothing had hit the tabloids yet, but it wouldn't be long before it did, and Claire guessed the media pressure in Europe would not be as strong. She cared nothing for public opinion, but did not want to be reassigned, despite what she felt during periods of lucidity.

The disaster came about a month into Ashley's first semester in Europe. She and Ashley shared a dorm room in a private suite nestled at the edge of a wooded area, away from the bustle of the small but affluent Spanish town. The isolation had been their mistake, Claire would later think. Better to have kept her closer to people.

Claire had been with Ashley all day, sitting in on her classes and when they returned to the room, Claire entered first in accordance with procedure. When a blue object twice the size of her fist smashed through the window, Claire shoved Ashley back, not realizing the flash-bang had really been meant for her.

When Claire came to her senses, pieces of the two Secret Service agents that had been assigned to guard the building were strewn around the suite's kitchen, and Ashley was gone.

Some said it wasn't her fault, others blamed her entirely. Claire herself was with the later camp. It was a few days before the chaos subsided, and Chris came to meet with her.

"They're giving you one more chance," Chris said over coffee at a cafe in the same town Ashley had been taken from. A small miracle had occurred, and news of Ashley's kidnapping had been kept out of the media for the time being.

"Lucky me," Claire said.

"Agents are being put on different leads, real covert stuff. They're going to send you to check on one of the more remote ones. If you find Ashley, you probably keep your job and stay out of jail."

Of those who blamed Claire for the fiasco, not all felt it was because of incompetence. Some had whispered aloud they thought she'd been in on it, and it had been strongly hinted to her that if things turned out badly, she'd be interrogated using enhanced techniques and sent somewhere no one would come looking to live out the rest of her short life.

"Well that's nice," Claire said. "This way we can drag it out..."

Chris smiled and held up a finger, although his face looked troubled. "They only think you're chasing a cold trail. I happen to have my own connections the government doesn't know about, and I think you'll find the lead is hot."

Claire swirled her coffee and read her brother's mind through his face. "You don't like this idea for a lot of reasons, so why are you setting it up?"

"Well, one, I know what will happen to you if you don't find her. Two, I know more about you and Ashley than you think I know..." he held up a finger again when she started to protest. "You need this. Plus, I'm willing to admit that maybe you can handle yourself in a dangerous situation. I don't like it, but I can't see another way."

Taking a sip of her drink, Claire set it down hard. "If we know where she is, we should send as many agents as we have in after her. As much as I want to be the one that saves her, it would be wrong for me to go it alone just to redeem myself."

"That's where you're wrong," Chris said. "If these idiots will swarm the place once they know where she is, and that'll get her killed. This has to be done quietly for more than one reason, and one agent is just what the doctor ordered."

They debated the matter until their third cups of coffee were cold, their arguments going in circles like the drinks themselves when stirred. "The last time you didn't listen to me you nearly got killed," Chris said. "Remember when I distinctly said 'If anything happens, don't come to Raccoon looking for me,' remember that?"

"I do, quite clearly. I went somewhere dangerous looking for someone I cared about and nearly got killed. Boy, talk about deja vu."

Chris tapped his thick, dextrous fingers on the table and frowned. "You know, I had to talk myself into setting this up for you, I didn't expect to have to convince you."

She got angry then, and felt as though she might slap him. -I'm the one that needs slapping,- she'd thought. "I just want what's best for Ashley, and you know it."

"This is best, trust me. I wouldn't throw you into something you couldn't handle or play with the girl's life, even for your sake. Are you in or not? Once you confirm she's there, you can expect support."

"Alright," she said. "Thanks, Chris."

And so now Claire found herself traveling down a back road in the Spanish countryside with two annoying cops, still wondering if she was doing the right thing. "This is it," the one in the passenger seat said as the car came to a halt before a wooden bridge. A trail led off to the north and the cop pointed towards it. "Down that way. Maybe someone will speak enough English to tell what you want to know. Make it quick and maybe you can come sit with us a while?"

"Don't think so, boys," she said, getting out and brushing herself off. They snickered to each other as she walked down the trail. The wheel ruts were deep and made walking hard.

As she traveled the wooded path, she wondered how good Chris' information was. He said a cult was involved, but most of the details were just rumors. Claire thought it sounded suspicious, as cults tended to be made of loners and kooks who generally didn't have the resources or know-how to pull off kidnapping the president's daughter.

_-_It's my best shot,- she thought. -I don't care what happens, as long as Ashley is safe.-

**To be continued...**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two.**

The dirt path led to a dilapidated, gray with a porch that creaked under Claire's feet as she stepped up to the front door, which hung open. She knocked on the door frame and called out in Spanish "Hello? Is anyone home?"

Luckily for her, the Spanish she'd taken in high school and college had been refreshed recently by the course she'd sat in on with Ashley. She and the girl had studied it together, and could speak it well enough to not sound foolish.

There was no reply from inside the house, but there were noises. -I don't have time to be polite,-she thought, and went inside. The layout of the house was simple and she found the home's sole occupant around a corner in the back tending a fire. He was an older man and was dressed how she imagined a peasant might dress some eighty years ago.

His face was ashen and he moved with drunken vigor. "Sorry for barging in," Claire said, her Spanish simple and polite. "I'm looking for someone. Maybe you've seen her?."

She held up a photo of Ashley Graham, let the man study it, and returned it to her pocket. She let him take a look at her sidearm, too, and hoped he wouldn't need to look at a badge. "No," he said. "I have seen no one like that."

He turned back to the tiny fire that was giving him trouble. Claire found his lack of concern over a strange, gun-totting woman suddenly appearing in his home a little curious. -I guess Chris was on to something,- she thought.

She turned to leave thinking she would look around outside the house before heading farther into the woods. Hearing metal scrape against wood, she turned to see the old man had raised up a hatchet and was coming towards her.

She drew her weapon and shouted "Stop!" When he didn't listen, she put two bullets in his chest.

He staggered backward and lowered the hatchet, but it didn't slip from his fingers. He growled and hurled the weapon at her. She shrieked and ducked so the hatchet went over her head and sunk into the wall behind her. She shot the man between the eyes, and he slumped to the ground.

She let her heart slow before unhooking the radio on her belt. She hadn't wanted to use it before Ashley was found, but this bore reporting. Claire turned a knob on the device and waited before speaking. "Hunnigan, this is Redfield, come in. Over."

There was static then the voice of Ingrid Hunnigan, one of the few Secret Service members Claire didn't openly despise, responded. "Claire? This is Hunnigan. What is it?"

"I was just attacked," Claire said, and described what had happened.

"Carry on ahead then. Keep up with the reports and of course let us know if you find Graham's daughter."

"You're not sending backup?"

"Negative. A lot of our other leads are turning up similar stuff. Be cautious and fall back if it turns out to be something you can't handle or if you confirm she's not there. Over and out."

Something told Claire that Ashley was in fact here, but she couldn't say what. She inspected the dead man's body, and could find nothing overtly wrong with him. He carried a wind-up watch in his pocket and a few coins, but no prescription drugs that might account for his violence.

When she went back out onto the porch, she was surprised to see the police car coming down the path. "Must've heard the gunshots," she muttered, planning to tell them the house was empty and that she'd shot a rat.

The car broke through the rickety fence and came speeding towards the house. Through the blood smears on the window, she could see the man driving was not one of the cops. She dove off the porch as the car crashed into it, splintering the dry wood and caving in the front of the house.

She picked herself up and brushed leaves and dirt from her jeans. The driver had climbed through the car window, heedless of the broken glass and splintered wood. He was a big man, younger than the one she had killed but just as ashen-faced. He growled and came lumbering toward her, fists clenched.

Her bullet hit him in the cheek and he staggered while holding the bloody ruin that had been the right side of his face. He pulled his hand away and looked at the dark blood covering it as if confused. When he looked at her, there was no pain on his remaining features, only anger. The second bullet she fired hit him between the eyes and wiped the expression from his face before he sank to his knees and fell over.

-No drug does that,- she thought, thinking about the zombies in Raccoon City despite the clear differences between them and these men. What they were and how they came to be she couldn't guess, but had a feeling she'd soon find out.

To that end she searched the ruined police vehicle, and while she didn't find the bodies of her escorts, she did find some spare magazines that fit her gun.

There was a wooden sign indicating a town lay farther down the path, but she decided the smartest angle of approach was through the woods. Not knowing what she would find there, and unsure if she had enough bullets to deal with it, she went back into the house and retrieved the old man's hatchet before setting off.

The dull red vest and blue jeans she wore stood out more than she liked as she went through the gray woods, but there was little she could do about it except try not to make too much noise in the dry leaves that littered the forest floor.

The village might have been beautiful once, but the quaint little homes had been left to rot and ruin, being shoddily repaired here and there with what looked like materials scavenged from a dump. The villagers themselves were as gray as their homes. They went about their normal daily routines, only through her binoculars, Claire could see something wasn't right.

Their clothes were filthy and their arms and hands were covered in cuts and scrapes. Not feeling pain likely made a person less careful, Claire theorized. Some seemed to be preforming tasks for the mere sake of something to do, as in the case of one woman who was moving a pile of manure slightly to the left, one pitchfork full at a time.

If that hadn't been enough to tell her something was wrong, the pile of burning tires in the town square topped with the body of a policeman did. She couldn't tell if it was one of the two she had come with, but didn't think it mattered.

-Could she be here? Are these people the kidnapping type?- Claire didn't want to think about what such people would do to a girl like Ashley, and she needed a closer look at them without alerting the entire village to her presence.

After watching the village for a long time she made her way through the woods to the north side of the village square where there was a large house, the back of which was situated near a steep bank. When it seemed as though no eyes were facing her direction, she moved to the house, where she pressed up against the wall to peer through a window.

It was unoccupied, and something on the kitchen table caught her eye. It was a manilla folder, crisp and new against its bleak background. The window was fixed, and didn't open, but further inspection of the building led her to a small woodshed built into the back that allowed access to the home's interior. There were only a few dry logs to step over, and many large bones.

Inside, she picked up the folder and examined a piece of paper it contained. It was a memo written in Spanish on a typewriter. It read The girl is held at the church. Rally there should the bell toll. Beware intruders.

Claire's chest swelled and adrenaline began to make her limbs feel light. Ashley was here, all she had to do was find the church and secure her. -And then I can say goodbye,- Claire thought, thinking it doubtful she'd be reassigned as Ashley's bodyguard again, even if she did rescue her single handed.

The front door slammed open and a man barged in like an angry drunk. She let the folder flop into the table and saw a dozen angry, leering faces in the window.

"You shouldn't be here," said the man, who was walking slowly into the room. He was going bald and what greasy strands of hair he had left were dangling in front of his face.

"What are you?" Claire asked, or thought she did, as her Spanish was less reliable when being threatened with murder.

The man's face contorted into an exaggerated sneer and he lunged at her. She shot him in the neck and face and he fell, but an accompanying crash from the window made her retreat several steps. The villagers were clamoring through the window while more came in through the door.

Firing more shots, she ran up a set of creaking wooden stairs and slammed shut the door at the top shut. She then dropped the wooden latch and hoped it was stronger than it looked.

She didn't have the ammo to kill them all, and they were wasting no time in trying to force open the door, so she threw her body against it and tried to think of an escape plan. When the blade of an ax broke the wood next to her ear she got away from the door and found herself preferring zombies. They stank and were creepy, but they at least respected a locked door.

The ax blade disappeared, then reappeared, taking more of the door with it. She could hear the shouts and snarls from the stairway, and decided her only option was to escape through a window.

She threw a wooden table in front of the door, and used a chair to smash out a window so she could climb out into the roof. When the door broke in, she jumped to the roof of an adjacent building, thinking she could hold them off better that way.

Claire held her gun up and prepared to shoot anyone who tried to leap the gap over to her, thinking after a few ventilated skulls and broken bones they'd get the hint and back off, leaving her more time to plan an escape.

The tops of two ladders _thudded_ against the building, and as rocks, boards, and farm tools came sailing through the air at her, she thought her plan might simply have to be run like hell into the woods.

After shooting two men who tried to jump to her roof, she ran to the ladders and pushed them off with a twisting motion, sending the villagers that had been climbing them crashing into the packed dirt bellow.

Five men had made their way onto the roof with her. She killed three with shots to the head but the remaining two slipped in close. Claire ducked under the clutches of the smallest, and drove her shoulder into his hip. He fell, while the other was able to trap her in a bear hug.

"Let go!" she shouted, kicking her legs and trying not to drop her gun. The man, a tall, sallow skinned youth, squeezed her and laughed. It was getting harder to draw breath, and more villagers had climbed onto the roof with her. Praying she wouldn't put a bullet in her leg, she fired her gun into the man, hitting him the knee and causing him to stoop. He didn't let go of her, but she was able to duck and shove him backward, sending herself back as well.

She lost her balance and fell off the roof. Instead of hearing the back of her head crack open, she heard the crunching of wet hay.

She jumped out of the small hay cart, intending to make a run for it and call Hunnigan from the woods. When she looked to the trees, she saw they were lousy with villagers carrying sharp farming tools and makeshift weapons.

Over the course of her short career, Claire had close contact with some truly terrifying things, and had looked death in the eye on a number of occasions, but she'd never come so close to urinating in fear as she did when the sound of a chainsaw filled the air like a thousand insane bees freshly set loose from Hell.

Eyes wide, face white, Claire turned to see a large man in dirty overalls, wearing a burlap bag on his head and holding up a screaming chainsaw. When the villagers around him began to cheer and howl, she felt like she would vomit.

Numbly, her hand fell to the radio. She intended for her last words would be the ones telling Hunnigan that Ashley Graham was at a church north of the village. The device was at her mouth when the sound of bells pierced the air, making the chainsaw sound dull and distant.

-I didn't know people heard church bells before they died,- Claire thought, now looking for a white light even though she thought there'd be a bit of blood first. When the villagers looked to the top of the hill and started to plod in that direction, she remembered the note she'd found.

She let out a breath that was almost a sob as the villagers started their exodus. Some dropped their weapons and many uttered phrases she didn't understand. She kept still, watching the ones in the woods alter their course, fearing any motion from her would remind them she was alive.

Claire didn't move until they were all out of sight. The chainsaw had become a low grumble, and her head snapped back around when it buzzed back to life. The man in the burlap bag stood with the saw held low, and made the machine buzz and spit a plume of blue-gray smoke.

She put a fresh magazine in her gun and took aim at the chainsaw man. "One guy left. I have enough bullets for that," she said.

**To be continued...**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's note: Extra chapter this week because I'll be out the next.  
**

**Chapter Three.**

Four bullets hit the chainsaw wielding man in the chest while two hit him in the face, leaving dark stains on his clothes and burlap sack he wore over his head. He let out a growl, drown out by the roar of the chainsaw, and came jogging towards Claire, who fired three more times before running away from the hay cart.

He was definitely something special, she could tell, and her initial good feelings from seeing the other villagers leave diminished somewhat as he showed no signs of realizing he'd been shot as he chased her. He wasn't quick, but he was steady, and seemed like he was driving her towards some kind of trap. She began to wonder, as she shot him twice more, how many of her bullets could he take?

She ran near the crumbling stone rim of a well that set next to a dilapidated chicken coop, and had an idea; she only needed one more ingredient to make it work, looked around for it as she kept her distance from the chainsaw maniac. He showed he could put on short bursts of speed, keeping her focused on him rather than what she needed, and he was getting better at forcing her into corners.

Finally, Claire saw what she was looking for hanging on the side of a shed next to a simple blacksmith's forge. It was a rusty length of chain, likely hung there to get repaired at some point. The chainsaw man was between it and her, so she darted around him, nearly getting bit by his blade, and snagged the chain before dancing away just in time to avoid having her spine cut.

She ran back to the well and put it between her and her enemy. She moved around it, keeping close to the edge, trying to goad him into attacking her over it. When he struck, she jumped back and looped the chain over his chainsaw and pulled. She'd been hoping to disarm him, but was more fortunate. Having a higher center of gravity, Claire was able to pull him off balance, and he fell headfirst into the well after his chainsaw. While she couldn't see him down in the dark, the sound of the saw sputtering to a stop satisfied her that he was no longer a problem.

Letting out a long sigh, she leaned against a post and caught her breath. It was later in the day than she'd thought. Thunder clouds, dark with rain were massing in the east, and they made her think of Ashley, who liked the occasional rainy day. She took out her radio. "Hunnigan, do you read?"

"Copy," said Hunnigan over the radio. "What's your status?"

"I've got reason to believe she's is here in a church north of the town. I was just attacked by a village full of the things I reported earlier, and I think they're all headed to the church now."

There was silence on the other end, broken by static and distant voices. Hunnigan was saying something to someone behind her. "Claire," she said, after nearly a minute.

"Yes."

"We'll send a chopper after you've secured the president's daughter. Hurry and get to that church."

She wondered if the full transmission had come through. "Repeat that," Claire said. "It sounded like you wanted me to do the extraction solo."

"Roger that," Hunnigan said. "You're going to have to sneak her out. If we sent a whole team in, it's possible they would kill the girl before letting her go."

Wondering if her brother wasn't standing behind Hunnigan, she replied that she'd call again once she had the girl. She retied her ponytail and wiped her forehead clean of sweat before moving up the hill, thinking this was a rather reckless way to run a rescue operation. She could see the the top of the church's steeple above the trees, maybe half a mile off, and busied her mind with keeping alert for more villagers.

At the top of the hill was a farm, which she found as poorly kept as the village had been, with hungry, un-milked cows and a few live chickens clucking about the bodies of dead ones.

She gave the barns and coops cursory examinations, hoping to find something useful, maybe another memo. What she really wanted was bullets, and was hopeful she'd find some, as there were things left lying around she saw that didn't look they belonged in a rural farm, and had more than likely come from unfortunate, unwary visitors.

Claire saved the large barn for last. It was white, with peeling paint and a large front door. The wooden floor was covered in a carpet of brown hay and after taking three steps inside, she felt her feet yanked from beneath her and hoisted up. She shouted and tried to grab the floor, meanwhile her pistol, hatchet, knife, and radio fell past her head, out of reach.

Twirling slowly, she swore and tried to untie herself.

"Well, well," said a familiar voice. "This looks familiar. Where have I seen it before?"

"Ada!" Claire shouted, as she twisted counter clockwise in time to see the hem of a long red dress flutter outside her range of vision.

Her heart was pounding again as a pair of soft hands grabbed her shoulders from behind, stopping her from twisting. "I knew you'd end up like this if you struck out on your own," Ada said. "I was hoping you'd go back to college, get a job as a barista or something."

"What's going on around here?" Claire asked.

Ada turned her around and kissed her. Claire returned it, briefly, but remembered being dumped on Rockfort Island and shook her head. "Stop that," she said. "You can't just do that."

"I can do whatever I want," Ada said. "You're like a babe in the woods. And is that any way to thank me?"

"Thank you for what? I'm still hanging upside down."

Ada laughed an tugged at the bottom of Claire's shirt. She felt Ada's lips on her naval and the tips of her fingers touch the bottom of her breasts. "Who do you think rang that bell?" Ada said.

"You? The ch...what's...Ada, please, I'm on an important mission..."

"To save the president's daughter, yes, I know. I've got my own mission that doesn't involve her, but I'm only about eight steps ahead of you and the kidnappers."

Her shirt had come over breasts, and Ada helped slip her bra down as well. Claire felt her old lover's mouth close over her nipple and begin to suck. It tingled, and she was annoyed to feel herself moisten. "Damn it, Ada, I don't have time for this crap," she said.

Her fists clenched and she considered punching Ada in the stomach, or some place more delicate, but couldn't bring herself to do it. -She dumps me in a jealous fit, and here she is molesting me while I hang upside down,- Claire thought.

Ada's smell brought back indistinct memories, ones involving sex while the bodies of monsters freshly slain lie motionless in another room, perhaps preparing to rise again or be joined by more.

Ada's tongue ran the length of Claire's naval, and just as she was beginning to let herself enjoy it, Ada stepped backward. "For once you're right; we don't have time for this," Ada said. She picked up Claire's knife and pressed the cold handle into her palm.

"The girl is still at the church but won't be for long" Ada said. "The ganados, the villagers, have been been infested with a parasite. Shoot for the head and chest to kill it."

"Why did they kidnap Ashley?" Claire asked, bending at her waist to cut the rope that held her. "How did they become infected?"

"You're on your own with that," Ada said. "Go save your...friend. Maybe the three of us can get together some time."

Claire got the knife through the rope, and she fell to the floor with a _thump_. She scrambled to her feet and ran outside, but Ada was gone. Claire looked to see where she'd went but there was no trace of her. Cursing, she continued on towards the church, trying to wipe the storm of thoughts and emotions save for the desire to find and keep Ashley safe.

On the roof of the barn, Ada Wong watched Claire make her way towards the church. She was careful to not be seen and patted the grappling gun fixed to her hip with affection, it being one of the better investments she'd made in a while.

She could taste Claire in her mouth still and it made her fists clench. She'd picked the girl up in Raccoon City to be used as a sex toy, something to be thrown away when it was over. -But I didn't throw her away,- she thought, now pursing her lips. -No, I let her get close. Taught her things. Then I threw her away when she made eyes at some boy...a dead boy, now.-

She wondered if the rumors were true about Claire and the president's daughter. It would serve her right, as such a thing could end one way, badly.

That thought made her want to run after Claire and tell her everything she knew, beg her forgiveness even, but then she remembered their missions weren't exactly compatible, nor were their worldviews. Ada had been hired by two competing groups to steal a sample of the parasite responsible for the ganado. She didn't know anything about one of the groups, but the second she knew was led by Alexia Ashford and Albert Wesker, two of Claire's least favorite people. Ada could imagine Claire's words as clear as if they were being spoken now. "Ada, this thing is dangerous. God knows what these people will do with it. Don't you remember Raccoon City?"

Ada knew it was only a matter of time before the entire world looked like Raccoon City, and she didn't think the U.S. government was any better than Umbrella in that regard. If she could get rich off a world bent on killing itself, why shouldn't she? That Claire couldn't see the logic behind this was a reason they couldn't be together, she'd reasoned many, many times, often while tossing in her bed.

The receiver in her ear crackled to life, delivering Wesker's machine-like voice. "Report."

"Heavy ganado activity," she said. "Someone else has also arrived, an American agent, possibly BSAA or part of a joint op."

"Just one?"

"One that I've seen. Appears to be here for the girl."

"Then it's of no concern to us. Retrieve the necessary samples as planned."

"What about Krauser?"

"She's not your concern," Wesker said, and the line went silent.

Ada swore. In addition to bringing up old feelings, Claire's presence raised some new ones, namely worry. Ada liked that feeling least of all. She told herself Claire was more than capable of handling herself, and appeared to have received some training from whoever she now worked for, probably the U.S. government. She could deal with Las Plagas, at least the ones guarding the girl.

Jacqueline Krauser was another matter. Ada wasn't sure what Krauser was, but it wasn't human. She'd infiltrated Los Illuminados, the group behind the parasite, and kidnapped the American president's daughter to secure her position with the group's leader. Wesker had hired Ada as insurance, essentially, as he didn't completely trust Krauser for whatever reason. Ada didn't care, she only knew Krauser was someone who would kill Claire if they crossed paths.

-And mission or no mission, I'm not about to let that happen,- Ada thought.

**To be continued...**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four.**

The clouds were threatening rain. -Should've brought an umbrella,- Claire thought. -Maybe a white one with red stripes. Or a red one with white stripes.-

As she walked, the vegetation under her feet became thicker and the ground wetter. The houses were scattered and even more ramshackle than the ones she'd passed by earlier, some being fire-gutted shells. Claire poked her head inside a few and saw they were being used as warehouses for sharp tools and dynamite. She considered taking some of the explosives with her, but after inspecting a box thought better of it.

The trees around the houses were leafless and the ground squished beneath her boots. The air held the faint smell of sewage and she couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched. One of the houses she spotted had a large padlock and chain on the door.

"Don't want me in there, huh? Well, we'll see about that," she said. Lock picking had once been a hobby of hers, but then she'd learned how to break in a door and found it to be much faster. It was even faster now, and the rotting wood gave way easily under the force of her shoulder.

It was dark inside, so she drew her gun and turned the switch on the small, powerful flashlight attached to the bottom of the barrel. Looking around she felt a quiet sense of outrage that such a nice house had been left to ruin. There were carpets on the floors, paintings on the walls, and ornate furniture in the rooms. All these things were covered in grime and dirt, likely from the hole in the roof that was never repaired. Some of the windows had been broken and a sloppy job done of boarding them up.

She could see nothing worth protecting with a lock, but when she was about to leave something bumped against the wall from the living room. She stood by the door and scanned the room with her flashlight, then jumped as the wall next to her vibrated with another _thud._

Claire saw that a cabinet had been slid in front of an unobtrusive door to her left. In her attempt to push the cabinet off to the side, it fell over with a _crash_, making her certain she'd alerted every villager within a mile to her location.

The door _thumped_ again and she opened it, ready to shoot what was behind it. When she saw a pale, writhing figure with blond hair she nearly pulled the trigger, but the silver strip of duct tape over the mouth made her pull the gun up.

The nude blond woman, feet bound together, hands behind her back, hopped into the living room and fell to the floor where she curled up and tried to get her hands in front of her by pulled them over her feet. She didn't seem flexible enough, however, and instead looked up at Claire with wide, green eyes.

"Mmm!" she said, then screamed as Claire tore the duct tape from her mouth. She looked like she might unleash a wave of curse words, but instead pursed her lips while Claire knelt and drew her knife.

"Are you okay?" Claire asked.

"I'm fine," the woman said, glaring at Claire. "Do I know you?"

Claire looked at the woman's face and wondered if she did. Whoever she was, she'd once been pretty, but even the obvious mistreatment she'd recently suffered didn't account for the look in her eyes. It reminded Claire of the zombies she'd encountered, only with a malevolent intelligence behind them. "I don't think we're met," Claire said.

"I've seen you somewhere before," the woman said. "Were you...never mind, damn it, get me loose!"

Claire frowned, not liking this woman at all for some reason. "Not until I know who you are," she said.

The woman's glare intensified, but finally her eyes rolled in annoyance. "My name is Annette," she said.

"What are you doing here, _Annette,_" Claire said. "Don't tell me you're a tourist."

"I'm a tourist," Annette said, a slight smile bending her frown.

"And a liar," Claire said, standing up. "Fine, I'll come back for you if I have time, but I'm on an important mission."

She was at the door when Annette shouted. "Please! Don't go, I _am_ a tourist! Th-they killed my husband, William and took my daughter, Sherry!"

It was Claire's turn to smile and roll her eyes. -Fine, let her lie,- Claire thought, returning to cut the woman's bonds.

Once free, she stood and rubbed her wrists before trying in vain to covering herself. "I think my clothes are in there," she said, walking past Claire, who followed.

"I don't believe you're a tourist," Claire said, although there was now something definitely familiar about the woman. Claire was sure she'd never actually met her, but had she heard of her? -I know three people named Annette, and she's definitely not one of them,- Claire thought.

Annette led her into a room that was much dryer than the rest of the house and seemed to be used as some kind of cache. Shelves were stocked with canned goods and tools while there were bags of grain and flour resting on a table. Annette found her clothes in a box and put them on while Claire kept her gun ready in case Annette drew one of her own.

"Oh, come on," Claire said, looking at Annette once she was dressed. Khaki pants, a dirty black tank top, topped with a filthy white lab coat completed the ensemble. "Really, who are you?"

Annette crossed her arms. "Doctors can't go on vacation?"

"If I didn't have more important things to worry about I wouldn't let this go," Claire said. "But like I said, I can't be bothered with you. You can come along if you keep quiet and don't get in my way."

Annette snorted. "Excuse me but I have no intention of going anywhere with you. Thank you for rescuing me, however. Good bye."

She gave a curt nod and went to leave. Halfway down the tiny hall that led to the living room, the darkness beyond her seemed to come forward. She retreated with a shriek and stood away from Claire.

It was unfathomable how she didn't hear the man come in. He was easily seven feet tall, bald headed with a wide body and a dusty blue trench coat which somewhat camouflaged his impressive black beard. He was looking directly at Claire who aimed her gun at his head.

"Can I help you?" she said.

"That's Bitores Mendez," Annette said, a laugh dancing at the edge of her voice. "He's a controller; he's one of them."

-Controller? Of the parasites?- Claire thought, now sure Annette was no tourist.

"Nice to meet you, Mr. Mendez," Claire said in Spanish, keeping her gun up. "I have a few questions if you don't mind."

The man's lips curled into a grimace beneath his beard. "You are not welcome here," he said in English.

"Yeah, I was getting some strong hints there," she said in English, happy at least one of her enemies spoke it. "I'm sure you know I'm here to pick up a friend of mine, so if you let me just take her, I'll be on my way."

Mendez stepped forward, now letting his weight shake the floor. He didn't look like he was about to stop, so Claire shot him. His hand came up and the bullet struck the back of his wrist. Claire fired at his leg and ran forward, thinking to hit him with a low shoulder tackle, knock him off balance, and run past him.

It was like hitting a tree trunk. Before she could pull away and make a run for it, something heavy came down on the back of her neck making her see a white flash of light, then nothing.

**To be continued...**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five.**

Something was pinching the side of her neck while something else held her by the hair. She moaned more out of confusion than pain, and struggled to regain full consciousness.

"Soon, you will be one of us," a voice said. "And you will know peace."

Under her, the floor was hard and covered in a thin layer of dry dirt. From the corner of her eye she saw Annette's unconscious form being held in a siting position by a man while another held a syringe to her neck. Claire didn't see him press the plunger, as he body was suddenly wracked with pain, making her lose consciousness.

When she woke, it was hard to move and her neck and wrists were sore. It felt like she had no clothes on, and seeing Annette in front of her, her own situation became clear.

Annette had put in a stockade a few inches away so that if they stretched their necks, their faces could touch. Claire could also see the other woman was unconscious and had her clothes removed. "Annette," Claire said, bumping the top of her head against the other woman's cheek. "Annette, wake up."

Annette picked her head up. "Ugh," she said. "Not again..."

She could hear men moving behind her, chuckling and muttering to each other. Claire turned her head as much as she was able and saw at least three villagers, or ganado as Ada had labeled them. Two went behind Annette; one was grinning while the other seemed angry.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing!" Claire shouted.

"They're going to rape us," Annette said, dryly. "With luck, these ones will kill us when they're done and not let the others have a turn."

"Oh hell no," Claire said, kicking backward. She felt a hand clasp around her leg and heard someone chuckle as she sensed a presence between her legs. "No, damn it, no!" she shouted.

"They won't listen," Annette said, a villager moving behind her as well. Claire could see him concentrating on something as she felt cool, dry hands roughly groping her own buttocks. "They're nearly mindless, like zombies. They have some higher brain functions, but are ruled by baser instincts. Violence and sex, for example."

"Was that in the tourist brochure?" Claire asked, catching the reference to zombies. "Damn it, no!"

She felt something that wasn't the villager's finger touch her buttocks, then rub against the outside of her womanhood. She jerked her wrists hard enough to bruise, and just as she felt something rubbery and warm press into her, the crash of a gun going off multiple times made her body jolt and her ears ring.

She didn't hear the bodies hit the floor, but there was nothing touching her now, and she could no longer see the villagers that had been behind Annette, who was wincing from the sound of gunfire in a small space.

"Jackpot," said a voice that reminded Claire of a pirate. There was the flash and artificial click of a digital camera, followed by "Oh, nice," then more flashes and clicks. Blinded by the light, Claire couldn't see who the pervert was, but was suddenly free of the stockade.

Her back screamed at her for straightening too fast, but she ignored it and stepped away, towards the wall. Their savior and pornographer was a short man, hunched over, wearing a long coat and a hood, with scarf across his face. "Yeah, that'll do," he said, stuffing the camera into his coat.

Claire balled up her fists, but remembered the pervert had a gun somewhere on him.

"Sorry about that, ladies, but I don't work for free, and you don't look like you've got any money, so I thought a bit of photography was in order," he said.

Claire blinked and waited, as if there was someone who would explain this absurdity. "Just...tell me why I shouldn't beat you to a pulp right now," she said.

He pulled aside his coat, showing that most of his weight was made up of ammunition and firearms. "Come on, then," he said. "No need to be unfriendly; I think we can help each other. I know where your clothes and irons are, I do."

"Where?" Claire said, not wanting to try and rescue Ashley in her birthday suit.

"Come on then, didn't I just say I don't work for free? You'll have to give me something in return."

He was standing in a way that to the untrained eye looked fairly obtuse, but Claire sensed he could be dangerous from the way his eyes darted between her and Annette. He'd freed them, however, so it was likely he'd let them leave if they wanted. She needed her gear, though.

"Like you said, we don't have any money," Claire said, holding out her hands. "So what do you want?"

"Not much," said the man. "Maybe just some photos of some girl-on-girl action?"

Annette's hand slapped against her forehead. "I'll go naked, thanks," she said. "You're on you own."

"Now, now," said the man. "I deal in a wide variety of wares and I noticed you came light in armaments."

"So you'll give us weapons in exchange for dirty photographs?" Claire asked.

"Private distribution only," he said, clearly thinking that made it sound more palatable. Their disgust was clear, and so he added "Means yer faces won't be on the, ah, what do they call it? Interweb, or what have you."

"I doubt that," Claire said. "Seems like a steep price for my own stuff."

"Oh, I can sell you better items than I got on me," he said. "Do business with me now, I'll leave, maybe we'll see each other later and I'll have some better wares. You'll have to earn 'em, though."

Claire was shaking her head, but noticed Annette was now stroking her chin.

"They're better armed than you think," Annette said to Claire. "I know you're here for the president's daughter...I saw her, earlier, near a church. You'll need more weapons than you brought in case your meeting with Mendez hadn't made that clear."

Claire sighed. "Alright, fine, but once we're done, my clothes, gun, and radio better be coughed up in a hurry or else," she said, walking over to Annette.

Annette didn't make eye contact but stepped into Claire's meager embrace. Her skin was cold, not like the villager's, but noticeable. "Yeah, that's it," the man said, his camera out. "Give her a hug, pull her in nice and close. There's a kiss..."

"No talking," Claire said, shooting him glare as he snapped a photo. "And don't look at me," she whispered to Annette.

"Ooh, yeah, hot...sorry," said the pervert.

She pressed her lips into Annette's, who slipped her tongue in. Claire gripped the other woman's buttocks and squeezed them. Her flesh yielded to her fingers in a way Claire hadn't experienced before. Ada's ass had been like sprung steel, while Ashley's had the pleasant bounce of youth. Annette's was pliant and a little bony, but not terrible.

She felt Annette's hands touch her breasts like she knew what she was doing. When she felt herself become wet, she backed away. "There, plenty to amuse yourself with later," Claire said. "Now, my things."

The man tossed her a gun, her own, which she caught, and then went to a cardboard box that had been covered in empty grain sacks. He pulled it out and opened it, showing Claire the rest of her gear.

Claire thought about shooting him, but it didn't feel right, so she got dressed alongside Annette.

"I'll consider this a sample," said the pervert. "Next time I come sellin' I'll be needin' a bit more if yer gonna be buyin'."

"It was my...never mind," Claire said, now dressed. "Just who are you anyway?"

"A humble merchant," he said. "Just trying to get by in trying times. The scenery around here's gone to pot you know, tourism is lousy."

Not knowing what to say, she shook her head slowly and turned to leave, hoping to radio Hunnigan and give her an edited version of recent events. "Annette?" she said, seeing that the other woman was already gone.

"Oh, she stepped out while you were talking," the merchant said. "You can trade me some solo action later if you don't find her."

Claire left the tiny building amidst a flurry of muttered curses, having wanted to ask Annette what the injections had been about. Her neck hurt from the stockade, and she was not entirely sure the syringes had been real. When she got outside there was no sign of Annette, no telling where she now was, and it was half an hour from sunset.

**To be continued...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six.**

Watching the sheet of cloud that covered the sky and carried a faint glow, she didn't think it was as late in the day as she'd guessed. Rubbing her neck, she wished Annette hadn't run off so she could ask her about the half-memory she had from before regaining consciousness the last time. Had they injected her with something? It seemed like it.

Claire had contacted Hunnigan, told her most of what happened, and was again told to continue her mission. She'd secure Ashley, then radio for a helicopter pickup. Claire felt an sense of urgency now, having met the sort of people who'd taken the girl. Hunnigan had mentioned no demands had yet been made, leaving Claire to wonder what they could possibly want.

Still not knowing where she was, she decided to search for the village where she could get her bearings on the church. It seemed the villager's had discovered the bell was a false alarm, and they were now on patrol, making their way up and down the wagon paths and animal trails in small packs and staffing makeshift roadblocks.

Claire avoided them by staying off the roads and stalking through the forest. She had to go slow, not only to be quiet, but because of the rusty bear traps and other surprises she noticed had been scattered amongst the trees.

She had recovered from Mendez's attack and being held in the stockade, but one feeling she could not seem to shake was the arousal Annette had sparked in her. The feeling had little to do with the woman herself, and it made focusing on the situation at hand difficult. Twice she considered relieving herself, but took a deep breath and carried on instead.

When she found the village, she saw it had been left deserted save for two men stationed outside the road on the high side. She saw them before they saw her, and ducked behind a pile of rocks and brush that had been piled to the side of the road. She almost stepped in another bear trap, but seeing it gave her an idea.

Remembering what Annette said about the villager's reduced mental capacity, she took off her vest, shirt, and bra, then made sure the bear trap wasn't chained to anything and could be picked up by a metal tab used to move it without setting it off.

Thinking Ada would appreciate this, Claire stepped out from behind the debris pile and waved at the two villagers. "Oh boys," she said, picturing Ada snickering behind the log pile, or more likely standing by her side. The two men looked at each other, then returned eager looks in her direction. Not wanting them to run off and get backup, she licked her fingers and tweaked the nipple on her left breast. She topped the display by licking her lips while her mouth was open wide in an O shape.

They took the bait and came towards her. She let them close the distance by half, then backed herself behind the debris pile, being careful not to step on the trap. She picked it up, and waited.

She tossed it into the face of the first one to come around, a tubby man losing his hair in the back. She threw the trap into his face and it closed around his head, making him snarl. He was quickly shoved into his companion, a slender man with a patchy beard, and the two fell. Claire took her hatchet and finished them both before they could rise.

Shirtless and covered in blood, she felt a rush of adrenaline and had to fight the urge to masturbate. -What's gotten into me?- she thought, now certain she had not imaged the syringe.

She wiped the blood from her chest using a strip of cloth she tore from a dead ganado's clothing, and got dressed. The village was still deserted, and she took the time to search it, finding two magazines for her gun and a hand grenade, objects likely pilfered from...she had no idea who. Claire was about to make her way up the hill on the other side towards the farm, when something on one of the buildings caught her eye.

It was to the south of a high watch tower, a large steel door that stood out from the other wooden ones. Painted on the front was a symbol that reminded her of the one the medical profession had adopted: A snake coiling around a staff. This design was more abstract, and reminded her more of a weather vane, but she decided the building itself bore further investigation.

The door didn't budge, but she smiled on learning the boards over the windows came off easily. She climbed through and saw the inside of the building was kept up better than the others, and after a thorough search she located a trap door in the back that led down to a rocky tunnel, lit by oil lamps hung from the ceiling.

In a wide part of the tunnel where water pooled into the floor were three ganado women, each gray skinned and snarling as they fought over a dark strip of meat. Claire shot them; killing two with well placed head shots, while the third took rounds to her neck and chest. She staggered back, gurgling, and Claire was about to fire again when the woman's head began to shake. Claire thought she was about to vomit, but instead her head erupted.

What came from between her shoulders was a worm as thick as the woman's neck had been. It twisted and flailed, while the woman's body took rigid steps forward. The worm possessed a long, whip appendage, which it sent around in circles. Claire heard it _swish_ through the air and caught a glint of white from the tip. -A bone blade,- she thought, backing up and firing at the fleshy part of the worm at the base of the woman's shoulders.

Letting out a breath, Claire was able to put three shots into the meatiest part of the creature. It burst on the third shot and deflated like a balloon, the woman sunk to her knees and flopping forward into the water. Claire stood for a moment, expecting horrors to come out of the other two she'd killed, but they didn't.

She watched them for a while to be sure, and didn't take her eyes off the bodies until she was past. She'd been envisioning something much smaller when Ada told her they were infested with parasites. -Oh God,- she thought. -What's if that's what they injected me with...it's eggs or something...have to find Annette, or Ada. No, find Ashley before they infect her, too, if they haven't already.-

The tunnel stretched on for much longer than Claire had been expecting, and she encountered more open areas with ganado, some who had come running upon hearing the shots she fired. In the closed space, she handled them without difficulty, and only once did another worm spring from a wounded one. Something about them made her think of a guerrilla army, and she expected to come across a cache of guns and ammo at any moment. She didn't, but her disappointment was curbed by the thought that they wouldn't be using guns against her if they had none to use.

Just as she started to consider turning back, the tunnel sloped upward before coming to a spot where a ladder rose up twenty or so feet. She saw wiring had been strung along the rock ceiling, powering tiny bulbs. She climbed up the ladder, where the pervert was leaning against the wall, next to some crates. In the light she could see that his face was a sickly gray color. and his eyes bloodshot.

"Howdy," he said. "Got something that might interest ye."

"Not likely," Claire said, turning her head when he opened his coat. Instead of his penis, he showed off a sleek hunting rifle. A Remington from the look of it, possibly a .308, with a scope. The wood parts caught the light just so, and Claire felt the sense of arousal she'd forgotten about when dealing with the worm-headed woman peak up again.

"Nice gun," she said. "But I'm all set." She knew she wasn't, but didn't feel like paying his price.

"Well, if you change your mind in the next five or so minutes, I'll be right here."

She went past him, stealing last a glance at the gun, and came to thin, poorly made door that opened into a shack that had lost most of the paneling in its walls. Beyond there was a hill dotted with tombstones leading up to a tall, stately church. "Finally," she said, her excitement being tempered when she saw movement amongst the graves. Keeping low, she crept behind what little remained of the shack's wall and took out a pair of tiny field binoculars. Through them she saw better than a dozen ganado, and a familiar figure sitting on the church steps that made her curse.

The ganado she had sent down a well earlier had found his way out, and a new chainsaw. He sat casually, one elbow resting on a knee while he let the saw dangle from his other hand.

The entire churchyard was encircled with a high iron fence, and a group of ganado appeared to be making their rounds behind the church, thus a sneak attack from the rear was deemed impossible by Claire.

She was about to radio Hunnigan and try to convince her to send back up, when she remembered the grenade she'd found in the village. Taking it off her belt, she began to form a plan, but knew it would require that rifle the pervert had. A wry smile crossed her face as she remembered his remark about being there in case she changed her mind. "Bullets better be included," she said, and turned back.

**To be continued...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven.**

The pervert was rubbing his gray-white hands together, like fly grooming itself.

"Alright," Claire said, keeping her distance from him. "What do you want for the rifle?"

The pervert chuckled. "Takin' of yer clothes would be a start."

His camera came out, dampening the strange feeling of arousal she felt. She took off her vest and set it down, then began rolling up her shirt as though preparing for bed.

"No, no, no," the pervert said. "Sexy like."

Claire moved slower, turning away from the pervert and his camera while arching her back. Casting a sultry glance back at him, she let the garment drop to the ground. "I get bullets, too, right?" she said, turning sideways and unhooking her bra while jutting out her buttocks.

"I might spare a box as a bonus," said the pervert.

Her bra came off and landed on her shirt and vest. "Two boxes," she said, facing him with her hands over her breasts.

He let out a rattling sigh like an indulgent parent, or creepy uncle. "I suppose the gun ain't much good without ammo, eh?."

"No, it isn't," she said, turning back around with a sway in her hips. She kicked off her shoes, and undid the front of her pants. She bent at the waist, bringing her jeans to her ankles while keeping her legs straight, showing off her black underwear.

Claire found that if she didn't look at the man filming her, the excited, jumping feeling beneath her skin rose up and allowed her to move freely, with no inhibition. She teased by pulling the edge of he panties lower, then off completely in one fluid motion that involved a twirl. She was now facing the pervert, completely nude and leaning against the rock wall.

"Well?" she said.

"It's a high end rifle," he said

"I'm worth it."

"No doubt, but I go by supply n' demand, and the demand is a bit high, if I understand the situation correctly."

"Fine," she said, her voice curt. "But what happens next is as far as I go, and you'd better keep quiet while I do it."

"Understood," he said, his gruff voice seemingly cheerful. "You won't hear a peep."

She put her index and middle fingers in her mouth and sucked them, coating them in spit while thinking of Ada. The feeling inside her went from a simmer to a full boil, and she was able to forget where she was, in front of a bizarre man with a camera, her back against the wall of a tunnel dug by monsters. She always felt guilty about fantasies starring Ada Wong, especially if she was with Ashley at the time, but it got the job done better than anything she knew. Claire imagined how Ada's short black hair felt on her face and body. She recalled how Ada tasted when she was wet, how her body was sometimes like a furnace and other times like ice, sucking the heat from Claire.

Claire could imagine it was Ada's fingers touching her, but it was harder to convince herself the rough wall behind her was Ada's naked body, fresh out of shower maybe. All that slowed her down was checking to make sure the pervert wasn't touching himself. He wasn't, and kept his word about not making noise.

Thoughts of Ada were interrupted by the memory of what she'd seen outside, and Claire didn't think she could fake an orgasm well enough to earn her the use of the rifle. -Time for my secret weapon,- she thought, calling up a fantasy she rarely used, one that made her feel doubly guilty.

In her mind, Ada was holding her from behind in her strong arms. When she looked down, there was Ashley, the top half of her face visible above Claire's naval. With Ada's hand on her breast and the other running over her body next to the other girl's free hands, she felt her orgasm clear its final hurdle and come pouring out.

Claire moaned, rubbing herself fast and hard, ignoring the rough rock at her back as it dug her skin. The images in her mind came fast and jumbled. Her legs grew weak and she sunk down as the orgasm ran itself out. After a brief glance at the pervert, she put her clothes back on as fast as she was able.

"Good, good," he said when she was dressed. "Your ending needs a bit 'o work, but I see potential. I think this is yours." He handed her the rifle, and she checked it over before being handed two boxes of bullets.

She was about to grumble over the amount of ammo, but after inspecting the rifle, she saw he hadn't lied about its value. She wasn't sure she would have masturbated for it any other time, but knew it would serve her well now.

"I don't suppose you know anything about what's going on around here?" she asked, loading the weapon.

He chuckled. "The less I know about some things, the better off I am," he said. "I'll tell you this much, you've got about two dozen hostiles between you n' that church, but who yer lookin' for is still inside. She'll be alright for the time bein'; they didn't snatch her so they could eat her, if n' ye catch my drift.

"Do you know why they took her?" she asked.

He shrugged and closed the viewfinder on his camera before tucking into one of his many pockets, his coat rattling from the other items he carried. "None of my business. Now, I don't know if you saw 'im, but there's a fella up there with a bag over his head; got a chainsaw..."

"I saw him," Claire said, looking around the pile of crates near the pervert for a bit of rope or string she could use for her plan. She stepped next to him, having spotted an old strap which would meet her purposes. "I tossed him down a well earlier but he looks fine now."

"Heh, heh," clucked the pervert. "He won't be likin' you much then...That's old Dr. Salvador. Respected man in these parts."

Claire was puzzled, by more than a few things, but decided to ask "That Jason Voorhees wannabe was a doctor?"

"He still performs amputations," the pervert said, chuckling.

"You know even with this rifle, the odds are against me," she said. "You wouldn't want to lose a customer, would you?"

He shrugged and clucked. "You'll be fine," he said. "Plus that rifle's all I brought. I got me a feelin' we'll meet again. Maybe you'll have a friend with ye and we can do some real business." Adjusting his coat, he walked back down the tunnel.

"Not if I can help it," she muttered, watching him leave.

Her skin tingled and as she headed back outside, and a tightness began to coil itself in her stomach. She thought about what the pervert had said, and tried to take heart from it.

**To be continued...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight.**

Claire used the strap she'd recovered and her one grenade to rig a booby trap at the door of the shack, which she hoped the villagers would be too aggressive to notice. Based on how they had acted before, she felt it was a safe assumption they would trip it and suffer the consequences.

She had just finished setting the grenade in position when she heard a woman screeching something in Spanish. More howls of alarm followed, and there was the grumble of a chainsaw being started.

Claire, rushing now, tried twice to get the grenade set so the pin would pull and it would fall to the floor when a villager caused the strap to pull. Seeing this plan would not work, she hooked the grenade back to her belt and unshouldered the rifle, using the door jam to brace it while she lined up her shots.

Four of her five shots found their marks. She was not used to this type of shooting, and the rifle was a bolt action. She went through another magazine, hitting on three of her five shots, and flipped the rifle back to her shoulder, as there were now about six villagers within fifteen feet of her and still a dozen more behind them.

She drew her pistol and was back in her element. She aimed for their heads and upper bodies, killing each within two or three shots. Those who slipped within the fifteen foot zone, she shot in the legs to fell them and buy time to change magazines.

None of them showed any fear, only anger in their flashing eyes and teeth. They fanned out, making it so her shots would not go through one and hit another. Whether this was a planned tactic or not, she couldn't say, but those who did find themselves behind others began throwing the weapons they carried. Claire ducked the axes, and rocks, but was unable to avoid a piece of wood, which hit her in the leg. Dr. Salvador's chainsaw buzzed louder, and the villagers parted way for him.

Claire pulled the grenade from her belt and was tempted to toss it at the doctor's feet, but instead tossed it over his head into the middle of the crowd that filled in behind him. Before it landed, she stepped back into the tunnel and closed the wooden door, then moved the right to put more rock between her and the impending blast.

There was a _bang_, and angry screaming. Claire didn't move, and considered moving into the tunnel and using the door as a choke point. She could hear Salvador's chainsaw still, getting closer, and gasped as the blade came through the door, filling the small space with noise and sawdust. When the blade disappeared, the door came crashing apart, and Salvador stormed in, past Claire, thinking she'd run down the tunnel.

She stepped forward, put her gun to his ear, and fired. Blood shot out the other side, and he staggered, falling against the wall where the pervert had been standing. Outside, Claire did her best to step around the shredded bodies left by the grenade, and dispatched a villager who was staggering around holding his bloody ruin of a face. She took the opportunity to refresh her magazine, and seeing how many bullets she had left, hefted her hatchet in her left hand.

There were six villagers left that Claire could see. They came after her with the same zeal the others had, and attacked with the grace of a man playing the role of rapist in a womens' self-defense course. Claire sidestepped their swings and put her hatchet in the back of three heads and used the pistol to kill the rest, not wanting to press her luck in hand-to-hand combat. She'd worked up a sweat, but ran up the hill to the church, not knowing when or if there would be reinforcements, and noticing the feeling of arousal was now creeping back.

Her good mood was spoiled when she heard the chainsaw being revved up behind her. She'd gained much of the hill, and so she unshouldered the rifle, loaded it, and used a gravestone to steady it, wondering if the .308 rounds it fired would put the doctor down for good.

He came storming out of the shack with the chainsaw held high. She managed three rounds into his sack-covered head, soaking it with blood and sending him to his knees. Taking aim again, she saw something strange, and had to look without the scope.

Her bullets had removed some of his skull, and where blood and brains should have been was something gray and writhing, like worms or maggots. Salvador staggered to his feet, shuddered, and revved his chainsaw again, renewing his pursuit.

Not wanting to waste bullets, she put the rifle back over her shoulder and ran, trying to think of a way to disable her enemy. Beyond the gate that surrounded the churchyard were scraggly trees and damp, hilly terrain. She could hide in the woods, she thought, but there was Ashley to consider.

There was an iron gate at the top of the hill, leading to the east, and so Claire drew her pistol and fired at Salvador's legs, making him stumble while she broke for the gate. It led to the edge of a cliff overlooking a lake that reminded her of a mirror. The cliff stretched all the way around Claire's side of the lake, and the villagers had fashioned a dubious wooden walkway of ropes and boards and fixed it to the rock face.

Claire ran over it, and nearly fell into a wide gap not thirty feet in. Falling back on her rear, she was spurred back to her feet by the sound of the chainsaw, which also motivated her to jump the ten or so foot gap. When she hit the other side, she turned, hoping to shoot the doctor if he jumped and send him into the lake.

He came to the edge where Claire had jumped from, and didn't hesitate for a moment. Clair's bullets hit him in the stomach, but didn't stop him. The walkway shook when he landed, and Claire darted forward, throwing her shoulder into his chest and narrowly avoiding having her leg cut by his saw as he pulled it downward.

Dr. Salvador wasn't as unmovable as Mendez had been, and one foot went over the edge. While he struggled to gain his balance, Claire delivered a hard kick to his stomach, sending him the rest of the way.

The sound of the saw falling into silence did not greet her ears, and instead it continued to rattle beneath the lip of the boardwalk. Thinking it had caught on something, she peered over to see that Dr. Salvador was clinging to one of the wooden support struts. He shifted the saw and prepared to climb, so Claire opened fire with her pistol, aiming for the writhing gray worms in his skull.

Blood and parasite flesh spattered over the rocks, and Dr. Salvador changed strategies, taking the saw in one hand and pressing the blade into the wooden support strut, sending sawdust onto his blood soaked sack and making the structure vibrate. Claire ran back as far as she could, going around a bulge in the rock face just in time as the section of platform behind her fell. She wasn't able to see what happened, but heard the saw's buzzing diminish as it fell.

She allowed herself a minute to breath before reloading her weapons, her elation over her victory dampened by her not being able to go back the way she'd come. She followed the wooden path along the cliff until it led down to a sandy area between low scrubby hills and the lake.

Claire unhooked her radio from her belt, and sighed. "Hunnigan, it's Claire. I've got a problem."

There was a pause and some static before Hunnigan's voice came over the device. "What is it, Claire? What's going on?"

She explained roughly how she'd come to be by the lake, leaving out certain details. "Can you tell me the quickest way back to the church?" she asked.

"Let me check the satellite images...you're by the lake, so...ah...Can you cross the lake?"

Claire stamped her foot and tried not swear into the radio. "Let me check," she said.

Climbing to the top of one of the sandy hills, she gained a view of the lake, the nearby beach, and the shore beyond. She first noticed a small boat tied to a dock at the beach close to her. Looking over the lake itself, she saw the water had been disturbed by something, possible one of the dozen or so rootwads that bobbed in it like corks.

She was about to radio Hunnigan when something on one of the rootwads caught her attention. It looked like a woman in a red dress. A look through her binoculars confirmed that's what it was. Claire could see Ada was trying hard to keep from falling into the water, and was looking at the surface of the lake like it might reach out and slap her.

"What the heck..." Claire said, scanning the rest of the lake for an explanation. She got it when the water behind Ada rippled. Something long and dark was moving beneath the water, heading towards Ada from the rear. It bumped the rootwad she was on, nearly sending her into the lake.

The rootwad was bumped again, this time much harder than before. -It knows she's there,- Claire said, now seeing that Ada was looking towards a capsized aluminum boat about fifty yards from her. It was her only means of escape, unless someone came to her rescue.

"Ada!" Claire shouted, jumping and waving her hands, hoping Ada wouldn't try for the boat. "Ada!"

Ada heard her on the third shout, and scanned the beach before seeing her as she jumped and waved.

Her radio crackled. "Claire, are you there?" said Hunnigan. "Can you cross the lake?"

Claire ignored the hail and ran the wooden boat nearby. She jumped in and nearly tripped over a stack of harpoons that had been left in the bottom, along with a metal hook attached to a rope. She didn't think how strange such items were, and instead started the tiny engine in the back and sped towards Ada.

With all the boating experience of a tortoise, Claire rammed the rootwad Ada was perched on, helping her dismount from it and land in the boat. Ada began trying to find something solid enough to push the boat out of its entanglement, but was interrupted by the thing from bellow, which sent the boat up into the air, nearly capsizing it and pitching the women into the water.

They landed hard, and Ada was now near the engine. They were also free of the rootwad, and Ada was able to send the boat tooling away, towards the far shore. Claire could hear the hum of rope dragging against wood, and saw that her leg had become tangled in the coils. The hook was also nowhere in sight.

The rope tightened around her legs and pulled her to the edge of the boat, making her scream in pain and for fear of being dragged into the lake. Thankfully, the creature shifted direction, and the rope slackened. Rather than try to untangle herself, Claire looped some rope around the boat's prow. When the line went taught again, it didn't tighten around her legs, but instead wrenched the boat around hard to the left, and tugged it forward.

"It's dragging us!" Ada shouted. "Cut the rope!"

Claire first tried to cut herself free. The rope was thick, and with the boat being jerked about she nearly cut herself. She shouted when the boat was again yanked around amidst a wall of water that drenched them both. Claire had finally freed herself, but the boat was still being towed by the creature.

"Cut the boat free!" Ada shouted, and Claire went sprawling to the prow where she tried to saw it with the knife. While she was focused, she couldn't help but notice the hill of mud-colored flesh about a hundred feet from her. She could make out a tail, waiving from side to side, sending up waves and pushing the mound forward with them in tow.

Her blade finally made it through the rope, and the animal went underwater. Ada made the motor hum and sent them towards the lake's opposite shore, bouncing over the waves they'd made. Claire noticed they were going much slower now than they had been when pulled by the monster.

Ada cursed. "Grab one of those spears, we can't outdistance it if it comes back."

Claire felt a burst of energy. It was like the old days when they'd been a team. She picked up one of the harpoons and went to the back of the boat, feeling Ada's wet body next to her. She cast a glance at Ada, who was smiling.

The thing surfaced behind the boat, revealing a wide, U-shaped mouth large enough to swallow the boat. It drew closer, and opened wider, revealing a row of small, sharp teeth backed by gray, writhing tentacles that flailed like strings tied to the grill of a fan. The tentacles sprouted from a gray node at the back of the monster's throat. Hoping her javelin throwing lessons in high school had not left her completely, Claire threw one of the harpoons into the gray lump, which was about the size of a large pumpkin.

Red blood mixed with clear fluid spewed from the wound, and the monster dipped under the water. Claire retrieved another spear and waited at the back, looking to see if the thing would resurface and not paying attention to the approaching shore. Ada ran aground hard, pitching Claire over the aft, face first into the shallow water.

She got up sputtering, and trudged to the shore where Ada was standing with her hands on her hips, looking out over the lake. Claire looked back as well, wondering if the animal could crawl onto land. Something caught her chin and turned her head. Her lips were met by cold flesh that tasted of lake water. When she felt the warm tongue probing her, she shoved Ada backward.

"Yeah, right," Claire said. "It's going to take more than a damn lake monster..." she felt Ada's lips again and was angry for not wanting to fight it this time. She felt her hands move around Ada's hips to pull her in, felt herself become tight.

She turned her head towards the lake, hoping to see the monster coming so she'd have an excuse to make Ada stop kissing her neck. "Ada, no," she said. "Don't do this to me...they did something." She could feel herself heating up inside, to the point where she'd have to do something to cool down.

"I know," Ada said. "I can see the mark where it went in." Her lips were clamped over the spot where the needle had pricked her, and Claire felt her toes curl. "If it makes you want me, don't fight it."

"I don't want you," Claire said, touching Ada's cheek and nuzzling her face.

She let out a cry mixed with despair and elation, then went to kissing and nibbling at Ada's neck and face. Her hands moved over her body, peeling the wet cloth away with Ada's help. While she was half mad with lust, Claire was able to steer herself and Ada off the sandy beech and onto the wooden dock, where it was slightly less uncomfortable.

Ada went down first with Claire on top, her red dress doing little to keep hands and lips from her wet, cold skin. Their wet clothes didn't come off easy, but Ada's dress was less problematic than Claire's blue jeans, and so it was Ada who had the opportunity to come first.

Claire picked her head up when the last shudders left Ada's body. "Hurry," she said, her mouth tasting of lake water and Ada. It felt like her insides were on fire, and she only bothered to get her pants down far enough so Ada could reach her, touching her how she needed to be touched. Ada was an expert on Claire this way, and with her eagerness had her coming hard in under a minute.

When it was done, Claire put her clothes back together quickly, spurred on by shame. She retrieved her weapons and made sure her radio worked while watching Ada wring out her dress, which she'd taken completely off.

"So, are we back to..."

"No," Claire nearly screamed. "No. What we had was going nowhere. I'm glad you dumped me. Let's keep it that way."

She saw Ada look at her with something like anger, but on further inspection it appeared to be a self-assured disdain. "Going nowhere, were we? And I suppose you're going somewhere now? Look around you, Claire. The scenery is different, but it's all the same as before. What's the plan? Retire with a government pension, settle down in the suburbs with _the president's daughter_...Claire, be serious."

Claire felt the urge to slap her, and moved in to do it. "Oh, and I suppose being your sex doll was so much better. And again, why are we talking like I'm the one who left you? This is the way you want it, right?"

The condescending smile on Ada's face made Claire clench her fist and think a slap wasn't good enough. She was drawing closer to Ada now, the tight feeling in her stomach was building. Ada's smile disappeared as she sensed what Claire was about to do.

"Claire, don't. You'll just get hurt."

-Smug bitch,- Claire thought, her inner voice sounding alien to her. The dock was spinning, making her stagger. The tightness in her stomach loosened, but there was a painful burning in her chest and a pleasant one between her legs.

Ada, who'd squared her stance for a fight, now seemed unsure of herself. A look came over her face Claire didn't often see, one of concern. "Claire," she said. "Claire?"

"Ada," Claire said in a low, rumbling voice, now wanting to rip into the woman's skin. The pain in her chest doubled, driving all other thoughts from her mind. She felt would vomit but instead coughed, speckling the dock at her feet in drops of red.

"Claire!" Ada shouted, running forward. She felt Ada's hands on her, which seemed to give the creeping darkness license to wash out her vision.

**To be continued...**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine.**

Claire woke to the odor of motor oil and rotten wood. She was stiff all over and her body punished her for moving. She blinked to clear her vision and saw that night had come, along with rain which now rattled heavy on the roof. From the greasy light of an oil lamp nearby, she could see she was in some kind of shed.

She had her clothes on, which surprised her, and in looking for signs of Ada she saw her gear had been set atop a crate. Claire retrieved it and in the course of checking her weapons over, she felt something scratchy inside her underwear. It was a piece of paper, a note bearing Ada's name. She'd apparently brought lipstick and signed it with a kiss as well. Claire signed, and read the note close to the lamp.

Claire, thanks for the rescue. Sorry to love and run, but I've got a mission of my own to complete. As you likely know by now, you've been infected with "Las Plagas." You'll become one of the ganado if you don't get it removed, and obey one of the "controllers." That's about all I can tell you, but if you happen to run across a woman named Annette Birkin, I'd ask her more about it. She might know of a drug that can slow the process down, or cure it. Sorry I can't tell you more, but this is business and you're technically the competition. Best luck, Ada.

Claire held the note close to the lamp until it caught fire, and crumbled to the floor. From the shanty door, she saw she was still by the lake, and after taking a moment to collect her thoughts, contacted Hunnigan.

"Claire!" Came Hunnigan's voice. Claire could hear activity behind her. "What happened? It's been six hours since your last transmission."

"Six hours..." Claire muttered before pushing the talk button. "Sorry, Hunnigan. I was attacked again, but I managed to get across the lake. Must have been knocked out. There was a lake monster."

"Lake mons...Just get to the church and secure Ashley, if she's still there. If not, get us some intel about what's on the ground. We can't risk sending in a chopper, yet, and if we reinforce you, they might harm the girl."

"I managed to get some more firepower, so it's not all bad. I'll head to the church now," Claire said, after deciding she didn't want to tell Hunnigan about the parasite.

"Hurry," said Hunnigan.

Claire left the shanty and headed in the direction she thought might take her back to the village. She expected a long slog through mud and darkness, but instead found her way was lighted by torches that hissed in the rain, road flares, and glow rods. The path was less muddy than expected, there having been some thought put to drainage in the form of ditches on either side.

She encountered one ganado coming down the trail, staggering like a drunk. His head was lopped to the side, as though he were partially asleep. He began to shake, then Claire saw his neck tear open and his head fall back, allowing room for the parasite within to come out, flailing its support tentacles while whipping the long, bladed one around in front of it.

Her aim was off, and it took five shots to put two bullets into the parasite's body, causing it to whither and die. The body took a few steps forward, turned, and fell into the mud.

Past it, the trail ended at a cliff overlooking the base of a waterfall. The river bellow was hemmed in by wooden platforms on each side, while another platform had been built down the center of the river and seemed to go beneath the waterfall. Two towers were on the side platforms, and it all seemed to be some kind of way station, where the ganado used the water to move heavy objects. Claire could see a rope ladder leading down from where she was, but no such ladder on the other side.

-Must be the path goes under the waterfall?- she wondered, deciding she would have to look and see.

A small gang of ganado were busy working, moving box into and out of the water. They used hanging glow roads and hissing braziers to light their work, allowing Claire to line up a few shots with her rifle.

She took down two before they all started running, and not wanting to waste rifle ammo on scurrying targets, she quickly descended the rope ladder and used her pistol to finish off the rest. With the area clear, she moved to the central boardwalk, and went under the waterfall, wincing as it pounded her and tore at her already soaked clothes.

There was indeed a tunnel beneath the fall, lit the same way as the path above. She followed it, finding it led to an underground lagoon where the ganado had piled supplies of all sorts except, she noticed, guns and ammunition. -Probably a good thing,- she thought. -At least I won't be shot.-

At the back of the depot was a set of wooden steps, which led her up to a quarry, where she took cover behind a row of shacks on her left after seeing a band of a dozen ganado milling around a few burning barrels. Behind them, and also off to her left, were two gates made from giant logs. Claire unslung her rifle and thinking to use the stairs as a choke point, fired at the ganado.

Rather than charge her, one began yelling in Spanish while the others took hold of two ropes at the base of the gate closest to them. The others got the doors open and went to the ropes, where they began tugging as though towing something out.

Too confused to shoot, Claire watched them. "That's bizarre," she whispered.

"You don't know the half of it," said a gruff voice from nearby. She turned to see the pervert standing in the window of the shack closest to her. He chuckled and touched his nose, but Claire's attention was on the ganado, who were pulling at the ropes.

"What the heck are they doing?" she asked, now hearing a low rumble emanating from behind the doors. "What's behind there?"

"Oh, it's a doozy," said the pervert with a chuckle.

Something bellowed from inside the gate, and the ganado dropped their ropes and ran to the door, pushing it shut again, apparently having second thoughts about that they'd been trying to coax out. The doors burst open, kicked by a massive gray foot, and the creature they'd been pulling at emerged.

She'd been right to think of King Kong on seeing the gates, but what stood in the open now was more like the love child of the giant ape and the Hunchback of Notre Dame. The ganado were terrified of it, and ran, seeking hiding places or weapons to defend themselves. The giant looked around at them, unable to decide on which ones to attack. It settled on one ganado who'd been knocked to the ground by the door kick, and after letting out a roar that sent chunks of spittle flying, it picked up its massive foot and brought it down on the ganado, planting him into the ground.

Once the giant got moving, it killed with brutal efficiency. It scooped up fleeing ganado on the run, and either tore them into pieces, slammed them into the ground, or hurled them over the edge of the quarry. The last one it caught, it squeezed into a soupy ball, using its large, twisting hands. The parasite burst out in a last minute effort to save itself, but died with its host on the ground.

"I'll go around," Claire said, heading back down the stairs and finding the door she'd come in through locked. The monster's roars as it searched for more kills kept her from kicking it in, not wanting to make noise and attract its attention.

"Looks like they locked the door, the tricky bastards," the pervert said, cheerily as he came to the top of the stairs. They were concealed from the monster's view by the shacks, but Claire felt herself in a panic all the same.

Claire pointed her gun at the pervert. "Did you lock that door?"

He held his hands out. "I was with ye the whole time, not possible. Heh, heh. I got something that might help you with that big fella," he said, gesturing with his thumb to where the monster was still on a rampage.

"I don't have time for your games. Give it to me. You're trapped here, too."

Again, the pervert chuckled and sat down. "No, I'm not," he said. "I got nowhere to be and I'm in no hurry. You on the other hand..."

"Just give me whatever weapon you think will kill that thing," Claire said, keeping her voice low and the gun leveled at the pervert.

"We've got to work out a payment, first," he said. "This one will cost ye, I reckon."

"I don't have time..."

"Oh, this one is easy. You're gettin' off cheap in my opinion. See, I need models for my catalog..."

"No," she said. "We had this discussion already."

"We agreed no Internet, and El Gigante wasn't breathing down your neck at the time we had it. Besides, this is strictly a paper catalog distributed amongst select customers only."

Claire mopped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand, and kept still as she heard the thing nearby come closer. It had calmed down, and wandered to the other end of the quarry to bellow at some crows. "Alright," she said, thinking of Ashley. "What do you want this time?"

"Heh, heh, alright then," he said, taking out a still camera. "Step down to that flat bit in front of the door, that's it, right there..."

Following his instructions, Claire ended up on her knees, sitting back on her calves wearing nothing but her jeans and vest, which she left open to show off her breasts. She held her rifle between them, angling herself according to the pervert's instructions. "That's it, that's it, now...get a look on your face like you want to get naughty with that rifle...no, don't look at the rifle, look at the camera...try not to blink...heh, heh, yeah."

He took pictures in several poses, one with the gun held up, secured by her smooshed-together beasts, another with her licking the barrel, and one with the stock between her legs, her eyes closed and head tilted back as though it were pleasuring her.

"Who the heck reads this catalog, anyway?" asked Claire when the pervert seemed satisfied.

"Oh...no one you'll ever meet, I'm sure. Now, for the next bit, you'll be naked..."

"Hey! What kind of weapon is this going to be, anyway?"

The pervert waved his hand. "This part is easy," he said. "Go n' fetch the weapon I left in the shack, then come back here and get the part you'll need to make it work."

"Naked?"

He nodded. "Naked."

She went to the top of the stairs and peered around the corner. The monster was pawing at some loose rocks, reaching for a ganado that survived and was trying to keep alive by burying himself in rubble. She went to the shack and saw what the pervert was talking about; a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. She took it and went back to cover.

"Clothes," the pervert said. "This is a more important shot than the rifle."

"Whatever you say," she said, disrobing completely. "You know if this doesn't work, we're both in trouble?"

He took the launcher from her, then took something from inside his coat and tinkered with the weapon. "Oh, I have faith in ye," he said. "There, go get him. First, hold it between yer breasts...aw,"

Claire had given him a dirty look instead and taken the weapon. She heard the camera clicking and the pervert's low chuckling as she stepped naked into the open with nothing but the launcher in hand.

She gave a sharp whistle and the beast turned, both furious and satisfied to see her. Claire took a knee and aimed the launched at the monster's sunken chest as it strode towards her, heedless of the danger it was in. Claire had yet to meet a B.O.W that could take an RPG to the chest, and as soon as the rocket fired, she felt better.

The giant stumbled back with a great oozing hole in its chest, blackened around the edges. It pawed at the wound with its big, sausage fingers and Claire could see the parasite inside, dying from the shrapnel that pierced it.

The big slab of meat came down with a crash that made the ground shake, and Claire scooted back, seeing dozens of smaller parasites erupt from the giant's body. They came scuttling at her on tiny legs, and she bolted away, only to bump into the pervert.

"Step aside," he said, and took her by the shoulders to move her. He reached into his coat and pulled out something blue the size of his fist. "Cover yer eyes," he shouted, and threw it.

Claire looked away and heard the grenade go off. She remembered the sound from the day Ashley was kidnapped, and turned to see the parasites had all shriveled like jellyfish in the sun.

"Flash-bang," the pervert said. "They're sensitive to light; s' why you won't see 'em pop out in the day."

Claire said nothing, went back to where she had left her clothes, and got dressed. "Anything else you think I'll need later on? Maybe we can get this all out of the way right now," she said.

The pervert chuckled and tucked his camera away. "Afraid not, miss," he said. "I've got nothing good on me. I do know how to get past that door, and that I'll give ye free for being a such good customer."

"Whatever," she said.

**To be continued...**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten.**

The directions the pervert gave her were accurate, and she was glad to see he was at least trustworthy. -Although I wonder about that locked door,- she thought, clutching the key he'd given her, which he claimed would allow her to access the church.

A few torches had been lit around the outside of the building, their light only reaching about halfway up the church's side before blending into the darkness and rain. There were no ganado posted around, making her think Ashley had been moved. -Have to check,- she thought, and approached the door, wary. As soon as the lock tumblers clicked, she heard a dog growl behind her. Bewildered, she turned and her heart leapt into her throat.

There were three of them, large, wolfish, and crouched to spring. They seemed to grin at her, but their yellow eyes reflected something closer to hatred rather than eagerness. Claire opened the door as they sprang, and was halfway inside when she felt one's jaws snap on her pant leg. She shook herself free as it opened its jaw to try for a meatier bite, and got the door closed with a hard slam.

They let out a series of tremendous barks, and she turned to the church's interior expecting to be greeted by a host of ganado. There were none.

Her pistol was drawn, and she could see the church was mostly one big room. The pews had copper trimming, the walls were hung with tapestries, the stained glass windows were clean, only speckled by rain from outside. Above she could see a kind of walkway that went around the room and was ringed by a simple stone balustrade.

Claire heard the barks from outside become low growls, which then went silent under the rain. Claire looked at the empty church and felt like she might cry. She didn't, however, and wouldn't until she saw Ashley was in fact not there. She went to the back of the pulpit, noted the ornate candelabras and the strange book that sat open between them. She took a look and while unable to read it, knew it wasn't the Bible. Seeing that, she saw a host of other details that lent a disturbing air to the church. For one, there were no crucifixes, only that strange serpentine symbol that reminded her of a weather vane. None of the tapestries depict Jesus or the saints, unless the purple hooded figure with the obscured eyes was supposed to be one. She didn't think so, unless the the Emperor from Star Wars was now a religious icon.

A heavy feeling began to steal over Claire, making a strange mix with the odd sense of arousal that was once again creeping up inside her. She searched for a way up to the balcony, and found a ladder tucked behind one of the columns to the side of pulpit. Once up there, she spied a wooden door, and knew if she didn't find Ashley behind it, all was lost.

-Maybe it's a trap and I'll be put out of my misery,- she thought, ashamed of the dark mood she'd fallen into.

The door was locked, and Claire set to breaking it down with her shoulder. Tired as she was, it felt good to take her aggression out on something, and the door proved to be up to the challenge. She slammed into it three times, hearing it crack on the third. -One more,- she thought, putting all her might into the charge.

The door opened before she hit it and she went sprawling onto the stone floor. Rolling onto her back, she looked up to see Ashley's wide-eyed stare. The girl dropped the board she'd been intending to brain Claire with and fell on her, smothering her face in kisses between incoherent words that expressed relief and joy.

"It's really you, oh God, it's you!" Ashley said as Claire sat up, wrapping the girl in her arms and pulled her tight. Ashley wore the same orange, sleeveless sweater and green checkered skirt she'd had on when she was abducted. Claire felt Ashley's hands on her back, squeezing her as if still not convinced she was real. Claire had to press her face into the side of Ashley's neck and inhale, taking her scent in before she herself would believe reality.

"Are you alright? Have they hurt you?" Claire asked, taking Ashley by the shoulders and pushing her back to examine her.

"I'm fine," Ashley said. "I get carried around like a sack of grain, but they don't hurt me. Who are these people?"

"I was hoping you'd know," Claire said.

Ashley shook her head. "They're...weird. Claire, this is going to sound crazy, but..."

"They're all monsters," Claire finished. "I know all about monsters, sweetie." She held up her gun. "Shoot for the head."

Ashley smiled and fidgeted, eager to leave. Claire paused to look at her, saw the peach colored flesh of her legs between the tops of her boots and hem of her skirt, and felt something within her stir. -I probably won't see her after this,- Claire thought. The idea took possession of her, and she closed the door with a swift kick.

"Claire?" Ashley said, as Claire came forward. "Are you..." Their lips met, cutting the girl off. Claire broke the kiss and gave Ashley a look that told the girl everything.

Ashley looked like she might protest, but instead the sweater she had hung around the back of her neck fell to the ground, followed by her shirt, leaving her momentarily in her skirt and white bra. That was soon off as well, which was enough for Claire. She took each of Ashley's breasts in her hand and squeezed. Ashley squeaked, surprised by Claire's eagerness, and was pulled in and kissed, then nearly bitten on the neck.

Claire pushed Ashley onto a wooden table, and the girl had to move quickly to avoid her panties being torn as they were removed. Claire buried her face between Ashley's legs and took in as much of her scent and flavor as she could before wetting her with her tongue. The taste made Claire's body convulse with urgency as she gripped the girl's thighs and pressed her tongue forward.

"Claire," Ashley whispered, letting her head fall back. Her soft hands went between keeping her balance on the table, and touching Claire's head. Ashley began letting out a series of full throated moans, surprised at the speed in which Claire was making her come. It was over soon, and panting, Ashley slid off the table to her knees and took in gulping breaths while Claire undid her pants.

Naked from the waist down, Claire sat on the table with her legs spread, taking Ashley by the back of the head as she came to her. Ashley licked gently at first, but Claire sighed with frustration. "Harder" she said.

Ashley plunged into her lover with abandon, astonished by how wet Claire had become. Ashley did her best, and Claire guiltily imagined Ada between her legs and on her lips so she could come sooner. When she did, she pulled Ashley closer, banishing Ada from her mind in the last moment and replacing it with the blond girl.

They put their clothes back on in silence. "Ashley," Claire said. "Did they inject you with anything?"

Ashley was looking at Claire as though maybe she wasn't as saved as she thought, but now her eyes lit up. "Yeah, I think so. Why?"

Claire rubbed her neck, realizing now why Ashley had been kidnapped. "They injected me, too. It's like a mind-control parasite. I think what I just did was a side effect."

Ashley nodded and pulled in her lower lip. "That...explains a few things," she said.

"We have to get it cured, or we'll be like them," Claire said.

She picked up her radio. "Hunnigan, this is Claire, do you copy?"

"Copy, Claire. What have you got?"

"Ashley Graham. We're at the church. I'm moving her now, contact me with an LZ."

"Roger that," Hunnigan said, surprise and excitement in her voice.

Claire went down the ladder first, and couldn't help but look up as Ashley came down after her. Their escape was cut short when they saw a man in a hooded purple robe, who was standing in front of the door. He looked identical to the man depicted in the tapestries, Claire noted, and he carried a tall wooden staff that seemed afflicted with a number of bulbous tumors, each with a long, thin tendril that twirled lazily in the air. "Ladies," he said. "Permit me to introduce myself. My name is Osmund Saddler, leader of Los Illuminados."

"Get away from the door," Claire said, raising her pistol.

"Orders and threats," Saddler said, his polite tone like a sheet of ice of a lake of contempt. "You must be an American agent. You're in no position to tell anyone what to do, miss..."

"Claire Redfield. Now, this is your last chance."

Saddler smiled and turned his palms up. Claire put four shots into his chest, which she saw pierce the cloth of his robe and leave wet stains. Saddler didn't move, save for his smile broadening. -He's a monster, of course,- Claire thought, as Ashley pressed closer to her.

Claire frantically looked for a way out of the church, and saw a stained glass window low to the ground to her left. "Remember when I told you about 'tuck and roll?'" Claire asked. Ashley nodded. "Good," Claire said, and grabbed Ashley by the hand. They ran towards the window and Claire jumped first, using her body to break it, and hoping the ground outside was soft. The glass shattered, and Claire felt the open air for a moment before hitting the rain-soaked ground. "Up, up, up!" Claire shouted, pulling Ashley to her feet.

The front of the church yard now held over two dozen ganado, who stood amongst the graves and around a large wooden cart filled with barrels. They got over their surprise and came towards the two women, axes and farming tools in hand.

Claire saw two large ganado were at the back of the cart, keeping it from rolling backward along the ruts it had worn in the muddy ground on its way up. Claire tugged Ashley toward the cart, skirting around to the side to avoid the half dozen ganado chasing them. She urged Ashley to jump onto the car, while she shot the legs from under the two ganado holding it in place. Claire and Ashley clung to the side as the cart rolled, picking up speed and following the ruts like a train.

In the dark, she could see the torches of dozens more ganado at the bottom of the hill, and was about to shout for Ashley to break for the woods, as their capture looked imminent, but then she noticed the smell coming from the barrels, and the liquid sloshing sound from inside.

"Ashley, jump!" Claire screamed, thinking the nitroglycerine in the barrels should have exploded before now, given the bumpy ride.

She saw Ashley fall from the cart into the mud, and Claire let go herself, leaving the cart to plow into the shack she'd taken cover in from before, just as the group of new ganado got near it.

The explosion demolished the shack and the cart; Claire was hit by several pieces of wood that now fell with the rain. Getting to her feet she ran to Ashley, who was picking herself up as well. "Run!" she shouted, not knowing how injured Ashley might be, but knowing the blast was their last chance to escape.

They were up and running down the hill. Claire put bullets in the legs of the few ganado who blocked their path, allowing them to slip past and outdistance them. Claire felt like she might collapse from exhaustion, and hoped Ashley had more stamina reserves, as they ran aimlessly into the night.

**To be continued...**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven. **

The rain was coming down in sheets, making it impossible to see more than a few steps ahead. Claire had to take it on faith that they were headed towards the village and there were no traps to stumble into. She hoped the number of ganado at the church meant that there were few or none in the village, and she and Ashley would be able to hide while they waited for a landing zone to be identified.

The rain made her clothes heavy, and stung her face. She could feel Ashley stumble as they went, and as relieved when she recognized the dark shapes before her as village houses. Seeking out the high tower, she led Ashley into the opening at the base, where the rain no longer lashed at them. Claire fell against the back wall, while Ashley settled by her side.

"I thought we were goners," Ashley said, heaving the words from her taxed lungs.

"Nah, I had it all under control," Claire said, nudging Ashley, and holding up her radio. "Hunnigan, it's Claire. Do you have a rendezvous point yet?"

The radio crackled, and there was no response. Claire repeated her message, resisting the urge to tell Hunnigan she was in the village, lest she be overheard. More crackling and no response. "Nuts," Claire said, examining the radio. It was designed to function when wet, but she was less sure the warranty covered explosions. "Let's hope it's just the weather interfering," Claire said.

"Not to sound ungrateful, but...you're the only person they sent?" asked Ashley.

"It's complicated," Claire said, shaking the radio and making an annoyed sound. Peering into the night, she clucked her tongue. "We can't stay here. I'm sure they'll be back to search this place sooner or later."

"Can we wait, my legs feel like Jell-O."

"Just for a bit," Claire said, refreshing her magazines and checking the scope on her rifle. She was getting low on bullets and loosened the hatchet in her belt, hoping she wouldn't have to resort to it.

Ashley got to her feet, groaning, and nodded. Claire thought the ganado might come looking for them over the trail she had taken into the village, and so decided on a risky move. "Where are we going?" asked Ashley, seeing they were headed back the way they had come.

"I'm not entirely sure," Claire said, leading Ashley back up the long hill and veering off towards the farm. Thinking she could hear shouts and dogs barking beneath the rain, she moved faster until they are at the white barn where she'd met Ada before. It was as abandoned and dark as the village, except for the northwest end where a large bonfire had been lit and left unattended. They went past it, each wishing they could warn themselves by it, but kept going until they came to a sturdy wooden footbridge spanning a wide, deep chasm.

Claire saw the river was bellow and stopped on the bridge to try the radio again, as the rain was lightening. "Hunnigan, do you read?"

"Cla...rall..." Hunnigan's voice was distant. Claire again examined the radio for signs of damage, and swore when the shouts of men and barking of dogs came closer.

"It's them!" Ashley shouted, as a mob of ganado came into view, wielding torches and farm implements.

Claire could see a scattered few were also coming from the woods on their side of the river. "Come on," Claire said, pulling Ashley towards a large two story house that sat in the middle of an open area. Yellow lights could be seen in the windows and Claire thought to make the roof, possibly getting the helicopter to at least snatch Ashley using a rope.

The door wasn't locked or barred, and inside the first floor consisted of one large kitchen area. Claire slid what tables and chairs she could in front of the door, the went to the stairs, knowing that was where she would have to hold them off.

"Go upstairs," Claire said. "Take this radio and try to call a chopper to this location. We should be half a mile north of the village, got that?

"Half a mile north of the village," Ashley repeated. "Got it." She ran upstairs as Claire could hear the ganado surround the building, muttering in guttural Spanish their crude plans for breaking in. Almost as soon as Claire saw a leering, wide eyed face in the window, she heard Ashley scream.

Calling herself everything nasty name she could think of for not securing the top floor first, Claire went up the stairs and through the open door at the top. She saw Ashley clutching the radio with both hands and Annette Birkin half out of a wardrobe, clutching a pump action shotgun. She pointed it at Claire, her expression wide with fear. "Don't come any closer!" Annette shouted.

"We're surrounded," Claire said. "Point the gun at them, instead!"

Annette lowered the weapon and looked out the window nearest to her. "Oh God, you led them right to me!"

"Do you know how to use that thing?" Claire asked.

Annette scowled. "I'm a former Umbrella researcher, I know how to use a shotgun, thank you."

Claire bristled at the word "Umbrella," despite having suspected what Annette was. "What's Umbrella got to do with this?" Claire asked, and was answered by the sound of smashing glass and splintering wood from bellow. The ganado shouted, Claire making out the Spanish word for "upstairs."

She shut the door and Ashley helped her slide a heavy desk in front of it. She snatched the radio from Ashley and yelled into it, calling for Hunnigan to send a chopper to their location. There was no response, but Claire kept repeating the message as hatchet blades began to break through the door.

When the top of a ladder smashed a window near Annette, Claire handed the radio back to Ashley and went to shove the ladder away, even as more came to the other windows. As she pushed another ladder back, something heavy went whirling past her head and clattered to the floor. A hatchet, which she picked up and tossed to Ashley, who nearly dropped it.

The ganado had managed to destroy part of the door at the top of the stairs, and with cries of triumph, started to crawl through, over the desk blocking the lower half. Claire shouted for Annette to give her the shotgun, which she did, and Claire used it to pepper the man that came over the desk. She closed the distance between her and the next and continued to fire, hoping to either clear the stairs or force them into a retreat.

She ran out of shells and began using the butt-stock to bludgeon the ganados filling the doorway. Something tugged at her hip and she saw Annette draw her pistol and begin shooting at ganado who were now coming over the ladders, through the windows. Ashley screamed as one of them caught her by the arm. She'd buried her hatchet into another's face, where it had become stuck and free of her grasp.

Claire tossed the shotgun to the floor and pulled her hatchet. She spit the skull of the man grappling with Ashley and sent him out the window. Twisting the ladder off to the side, she led the girl away from the front door and stood in a corner, calling for Annette to give her back the gun.

When the weapon clicked empty, Annette let it fall from her hands and backed herself to the opposite corner. "Ashley," Claire said. "I'm going to hit them at that ladder there. Go around behind me, climb down, and run as fast as you can into the woods. Keep running and don't stop."

Three ganado were in the room now, stepping over the bodies of their comrades. Claire was about to move, knowing it was a lost cause, when something exploded outside, making the building shake. The ganado stopped, curious, but were not deterred and continued their approach. There was another explosion, and now the shouts from outside were ones of surprise and anger.

"Yes!" Claire shouted, knowing it had to be the help she had called. She did not know what kind of ordinance was being used, and did not care. She unslung the rifle from her shoulder and fired it from the hip at the closest ganado, hitting him in the chest and causing him to drop, the parasite inside being dead. She tossed the rifle into the arms of the one charging her, who caught it, and punched him in the jaw, stunning him long enough for her to shove him backward, into the other. Her hatchet now in hand, she butchered them as they tried to get up.

Another explosion, followed by yet another. Claire looked outside to see the ganado were scrambling to the tree line. Claire could hear small arms fire now, and looked for soldiers or agents like herself.

"Are we saved?" Ashley said.

"Sort of," Claire replied, picking up her weapons and tossing the shotgun to Ashley. She refreshed her handgun's magazine while keeping an eye on Annette, who was leaning in the corner. Claire picked up her radio and shook it hard. "Hunnigan, it's Claire. Do you read?"

"Copy," came Hunnigan's voice. "Claire, what the hell is going on?"

"We're half a click north of the village in a two story cabin. We were just attacked by a swarm of hostiles but they came under fire."

"That's not us," Hunnigan said. "We sent a chopper to your area and it was shot down. We can't extract you by air, not that close to the hostile zone. You have to get clear of there."

Claire swore. "Where, then?"

"There's a castle several clicks to the north. It's on a national historical registry. Radio in when you get there. Until then, maintain radio silence. Whoever shot the chopper down knew it was coming and from what direction."

Claire slapped her forehead. Barely having made it this far alive she did not see how she could go farther, especially with traitors in their midst. "Rodger that, Hunnigan. Claire out."

She turned the radio off and put it back on her belt, feeling as though she were forgetting something. Tired and happy to be alive, she put the thought from her mind. "Let's get out of here before they come back," Claire said. "You and I also need to have a talk," she said to Annette.

"Can I have my shotgun back?"

"No," Claire said. "It's out of shells anyway. Stick close to us and you'll be safe."

"Pfft. I'm sure I will."

They left the building quickly and Claire could still hear shouts from the woods, only they were far off.

"At least the rain stopped," Ashley said.

**To be continued...**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve.**

A road ran north through a shallow valley. Once the heat in their bodies from physical exertion began to wear off, the cold night air and wet clothing took its toll. Claire felt a sluggishness creep over her, and could see it was slowing Ashley down. Annette seemed fine, if annoyed. Night clouds hung over their heads like a sheet of ink. Their way was at least lighted by more of the same glow rods and hissing braziers Claire had seen before. Thankfully there was no wind, and the finger-like trees that hemmed them in on both sides were still.

Claire stopped by one of the braziers, holding her hands over it to warm them, as she'd need them to shoot. Ashley set the shotgun down, holding it as though it might explode or attack her, and warmed her hands, too.

"Don't hold the gun like that," Claire said. "Keep control of it, even if it's not loaded."

Ashley looked at her, wounded at first, but seeing she wasn't being scolded, nodded.

"We should find somewhere warm to rest," Annette said. "They won't look for us too hard now."

"Really? They seemed to be looking pretty hard back there," Claire said.

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, but..."

"What, that we've all been infected with Las Plagas and will become ganados," Claire said. "I know. What I don't know is how to cure us, which is what I wanted to talk to you about. A little bird told me you might know something."

"A little bird? Oh well, I suppose there's no sense in me keeping secrets, as they have even less reason to keep me alive than either of you."

She stood closer to the brazier, holding her hands over it until the smoke drifted towards her, then she moved closer to Ashley, making Claire watch her every move. "I used to be an Umbrella researcher. I worked in a lab at Raccoon City...you know what happened there?"

Claire was too stunned to speak immediately, and Annette smiled at the nerve she'd hit. "I was there," Claire said. "I was one of the few who lived."

"We're a small club," said Annette. "I escaped by the skin of my teeth, but my husband..."

"You said you had a daughter. What that a lie, too?"

Annette shook her head in a way that made Clair feel a small amount of pity. "I don't know what happened to Sherry. I heard a rumor that a cop managed to make it out alongside a little girl. I told Sherry to go to the police station if anything bad ever happened, so perhaps...it doesn't matter. I was, of course, jobless after the incident, and there aren't many openings for a bioweapons designer of my caliber and experience. I fell in with a man named Osmund Saddler, who said he'd stumbled on an intriguing discovery, one I could help him with."

"The leader of this messed up cult," said Claire. "We met him earlier; he's a monster. So, you helped him create this parasite, is that it?" Claire, despite herself, felt a red rage billowing up inside her like a storm. She no longer felt cold.

Annette shrugged. "My forte is virology, but in my work with Umbrella I happened to learn quite a bit about parasites, too. Saddler had me refine his discovery into a form he could use. I figured I was dealing with a Jim Jones type at worst, an Charles Manson at best. I didn't think he'd have the guts or resources to kidnap the president's da..."

Claire hit her in the jaw, sending her sprawling. She moved to begin kicking the woman's brains out, but Ashley's grip pulled her back both in distance and to her senses. "Idiot," Claire spat. "Of all the monsters I've seen and killed, you're the worst. You're the mother of them all, literally."

Annette rubbed her jaw, looking up in fear until it was clear she would not be beaten further. "You're right," Annette said, getting up. "I started my research looking for cures, but...you're not a scientist, so I don't expect you'll ever understand."

"No, I won't," said Claire. "Enough of this crap. How do we get the parasite out of us?"

"We don't," Annette said. "There are drugs that slow it down, which I developed while trying to find ways to make the thing harder to remove. They're at the castle I think your superior told you about, which you'll find is not the refuge you think it is."

Claire's hands clenched. -Should've known.- "Even if that's the case, we need those drugs to buy us more time," Claire said. "There has to be a way to remove it. If we can slow it down long enough to be rescued..."

"There is technically a removal method, but the equipment is miles from here on an island and I guarantee the American government doesn't have anything like it. Regular surgery isn't going to cut it, so forget that, too."

"So we'll get the drugs and tell the army where the removal equipment is," said Ashley. "No problem, right?"

Claire smiled. "No problem. Doesn't change our plans much, does it? You said they won't be coming after us hard. Why? Is it because they think we'll turn and be on their side?"

"Yes," said Annette. "They know time is on their side, but they also know if she's rescued before she changes, she'll alert the government to the plan and it will go to hell. See, they want her to go back to the White House, infested, then spread it to others. That way Saddler will have control over the United States government."

Claire felt like she'd been punched, and did slap her own forehead before reaching for her radio. "That's what I forgot," she hissed, hailing Hunnigan. She was answered by static laced with a high pitched whine that made everyone's ears hurt. "Oh, fuck!" Claire shouted, startling Ashley.

"What is it?" Ashley asked, a frightened tone in her voice which Claire knew had been caused by her.

"A jammer," Claire said, forcing calm into her voice. "That whining sound means the signal is being jammed. God, I don't believe it. I could have wrecked their entire plan in one sentence and like an idiot..." she cut herself off and covered her face. -Chris wouldn't have screwed up like this,- she thought. -Nobody would have screwed up like this.-

Seeing Ashley from the corner of her eye, Claire took a deep breath and willed her composure back. "Sorry," she said. "Alright, we need those drugs, that's for sure. Maybe we can get out of range of the jammer there, too. No sense in crying over spilled milk."

Ada Wong had not come dressed to go traipsing about the woods in the dark on anyone's account, yet there she was. She had also not brought enough ammo to be providing cover fire for a bungling government agent, and yet she had done that, too.

-I thought you were over this, Ada,- she thought to herself. -You made a mistake with that girl, and corrected it. Leave it alone.-

She had felt like hitting Claire upside the head when she saw her enter the cabin, leaving herself to be besieged. A fine tactic when one had plenty of ammo and less determined opponents, but the ganado had hopefully shown Claire what they were capable of, and she would take heed from now on.

Ada had lost her pursuers in the woods. The grenade launcher she'd brought had a few rounds left, and she hoped they wouldn't be needed further. Woefully behind her own schedule, she vowed to stop messing around with Claire and get her job done. Her one thought was now about how to find Annette Birkin, who would hopefully have her lab passkey still on her.

Ada gained the top of a hill overlooking the path Claire would have to come down. It led to a sturdy, if hastily built, log fort, which ganado used as a staging area for their activities. Ada took a pair of red framed sunglasses from a pouch around her waist and put them on. Working for Wesker had come with some perks, namely access to gear she would never be able to afford, much less find for sale.

The glasses acted as low-level night vision goggles. There were small switches on the frames, but what set them apart were the sensors built into the frames and nose bridges. Squinting towards the trail, the glasses zoomed in like binoculars and the night vision upped itself a notch, making the path easier to see in the dark.

There were shapes moving up the path, their silhouettes clear when they passed in front of a barrel fire. It was Claire, leading the way, followed by what had to be Ashley Graham, who carried a shotgun.

A third person was behind them, unarmed. Not a ganado. Ada squinted and the glasses preformed a wondrous trick. Using a satellite signal and special servers Wesker used to store useful data, coupled with facial recognition technology, a tiny window popped up before Ada's eyes, telling her the third figure was Annette Birkin.

"So much for keeping out of Claire's business," muttered Ada, thinking things might get quite ugly between the two of them before this was over.

She examined the fort more closely, and saw quite clearly that Claire didn't know what she was stumbling into, nor had she the ammo to deal with it. Ada sighed, and bemoaning the dirt at the hem of her dress, moved towards the fort, hoping to gain a good position to fire on it when the time came.

Don Esteban stood atop a watchtower made from freshly cut logs. He had been told by one of the Sisters to stand watch and shout if the intruders came this way, as there was word they had eluded the mob sent to hound them at the church.

In the back of his mind, he was sorry the place had not been burned down. It was an affront to God and all that was holy, but this idea was shelved alongside his feelings about the color of buttons and the best time of day to smoke one's pipe. The remainder of his facilities were bent towards doing the bidding of the women known as the Bella Sisters.

Their former names were unimportant to him now, but he remembered them being well known in the village, both for their looks and fiery spirits. Their father had been kicked to death by a cow when they were young, and their mother was not a clever or strong woman, so it fell to the Sisters to look out for one another. He remembered them as they were, fondly, along with other useless facts such as the ideal temperature at which he liked his tea.

His eye, sharpened by an alien fanaticism, spotted something. The lights along the trail flickered, but now they flickered as though some shape were passing by them. Don Esteban turned and bolted down the ladder, and through the spiraling maze of the fort's outer wall with a speed and agility lost to him many years ago, but regained in recent months.

He crossed the fort's courtyard, more a muddy pit, really, and burst in through the door on the far side. Sitting in a chair was the oldest of the Bella Sisters, Faustina. A lithe, nubile woman beneath her heavy dress, she was tinkering with a yellow chainsaw, heedless of getting grease on her clothes. She turned her face towards his loud entrance. She seemed idly curious about what he had to report.

"Intruders, coming up the pass," he said.

She grinned, her red eyes lighting up with malicious glee. The scars that crisscrossed her beautiful oval face seemed to dance, and she stood, and she hefted her chainsaw. "Find Miranda, my sister, and tell her to come here."

"Yes," said Don Esteban. "I will alert the whole fort."

"No," Faustina said. "Let them come to the center, then we will have them at our mercy."

"Do not forget Lord Saddler's orders," said Don Esteban.

She snarled at him, but there was nothing to argue about between them. Don Esteban left the room, tapping a man on the shoulder and alerting him of the crude plan, and to keep quiet. He wondered what doom would befall the intruders, and in the back of his brain he prayed to be killed.

**To be continued...**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen.**

The ground was getting drier the farther uphill they went. Annette no longer felt the ground tugging at her feet as she walked, and had been thankful to avoid the downpours from earlier. Her jaw still hurt from where she'd been punched by the government agent, and the pain left with an odd form of contentment, which she hated. She had no right to feel bad for anything she'd done, Annette had always thought. To avoid these thoughts, she kept trying to decide on whether or not to run from these two at the first opportunity, or stick with them. She'd become resigned to the fact she would soon be a ganado, and even a small flicker of hope was an irritation.

Were the shotgun loaded, she thought, she could try to take the weapon from the girl. Ashley was cradling it almost like an infant, one she thought might bite her, as they plodded up the path between the stumpy hills.

They came to wall of muddy logs that marked the outer ring of what Annette knew to be a simple fort. Above the logs was the dark recess of a watch tower where a ganado likely stood. When no one shouted as they came near, Annette thought they might get a free pass through. Beyond the log structure she knew there was a gorge where they would find the castle they sought, but still didn't think they would make it.

There was no door to the fort. The wall on the north side came only halfway across the narrow gap between the hills and directed visitors to the north where it wound inward. Outside was a cart, missing a wheel and a steel dumpster.

Annette watched Claire look about like a rodent scanning the skies for a hawk, then her gaze fell on the dumpster. She lifted the lid and peered in. "You two should hide in here while I see what's up with the place," she said.

"Not a chance," Annette said, as Ashley Graham dutifully climbed in.

"You can climb in or get thrown in, your choice," said Claire.

"Very well," Annette said.

The dumpster was bigger than it seemed, and smelled of rust and wood. With the lid shut, it was pitch black inside, and Annette could hear the girl moving. "Ow," Ashley, said as her head bumped the side of the bin and made a dull echo.

Annette tried to think of some waspish insult, but was too tired. It was only barely registering in her mind that she was sharing a dumpster with the president of the United State's daughter, the famous Ashley Graham, who Annette had always imaged would be stupid in person.

"Do you think those drugs will work?" Ashley asked.

"All they do is slow the parasite's growth, and yes, it's worked on test subjects."

There was a pause, the words "test subjects" clearly having given the girl something to consider. "Are they pills, or like a shot?" she asked.

"Pills."

"Is there enough for the three of us?"

"I believe so, yes."

"Like...how big does the parasite get?"

Annette smiled a grim smile in the dark. "It depends on the type. Some can be a meter long or more."

"Ugh, gross," Ashley said, and Annette could hear her writhe. The thought of the girl's warm body was making her skin tingle. "When they take over, are you still conscious?"

Annette cleared her throat, now thinking Ashley wasn't as stupid as she'd wanted to believe. "It's hard t tell. The host doesn't die, like a zombie, but how aware they are when controlled, I haven't been able to determine."

"I...I think I'll kill myself before I become one of them," Ashley said. "Will I know when it's too late to turn back?"

Annette smiled, admiring the girl's resolve, assuming it wasn't gutless talk. "I can't say that either. My research hasn't been completed."

"Why are you running with us if you work for Saddler?"

Annette leaned forward, her body feeling hot. When she realized what was happening, she took in a deep breath and tried to calm herself. "I quit after you were kidnapped," Annette said. "Like I told your friend, I helped Saddler because I thought at most he could set himself up as the tin-pot dictator of some tropical island, or backwoods commune. I didn't think he'd have an honest to God shot at taking over the United States government. I already have one holocaust on my conscious, I don't need two."

"Raccoon," Ashley said, and was quiet. "Um...can I ask you something else. Something kinda weird?"

"What?"

"Are there...side effects with the parasite?"

Annette was sitting cross legged. She rocked back and forth slightly, feeling a dull ache between her legs and in her torso. "The type of Plaga we're infested with increases strength, aggression...it can cause bleeding in and around the eyes, hallucinations, black-outs..."

"Oh," Ashley said. "Is that all?"

"Do you feel it, too?"

"Um..."

"Aroused. Do you feel aroused?"

"Y-yeah," Ashley said. "Since I saw Claire...I think Claire felt it, too, but didn't say anything. I forgot about it because we were being chased, but now..."

"You can't fight it anymore. It's like an itch, isn't it?"

"Uh huh," said Ashley, almost a whimper.

"Come here, we'll make it quick. No reason to speak of it or think about it again, okay?"

Ashley pounced, bumping Annette's head on the bin. A wet mouth clamped over her own, probing her with its tongue. Annette's hands groped, feeling the taught curves of the girl's body beneath her clothes. She felt her shirt being pulled up and straightened her arms as best she could, not caring this was the least efficient way to solve their problem.

Annette managed to push the girl back and restore order to the dumpster, lifting up the girl's shirt to nuzzle her breasts while she herself was groped and grabbed. The hardest part was Annette removing her khaki pants, but the job was soon done and the girl was on her again like a lion on a zebra, licking between her legs as though it would keep off starvation.

Knowing she would be in no mood to help the girl once she came and knowing she would not be given a choice, she coaxed Ashley to lie on top of her, her head still between Annette's legs but with her own slit over Annette's lips.

The girl was wet beneath her panties, which Annette pulled aside as best she could, trying to stave off her own orgasm long enough to get Ashley off as well. Annette began thinking about the long, pulsing gray thing growing in her chest as she felt the wave inside her building. The pictured the pulsing nodes around the head nestling a whip-like appendage tipped with a bony blade. It was enough to kill the mood any other time, but with that very parasite urging her on, it was a battle to keep from climaxing too soon.

When Ashley began to emit high-pitched squeaks and buck her hips, Annette let herself go and came, letting the tension free. She lie back with Ashley Graham's ass in her face for a few seconds before crawling quickly out of the position. The girl seemed about as comfortable with what happened as she did.

"There," Annette said, feeling like the air was thicker. "Problem solved, no harm done. Did what we had to do."

"Yeah," Ashley said. "Can we not mention it to Claire?"

"Up to you," Annette said. "Although if we keep together, I imagine the three of of us will need it again at some point."

**To be continued...**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen.**

There were less light sources inside the fort, and Claire felt the acrid sting of smoke from recently extinguished flames in her nostrils and throat. -They're here,- she thought. -They know I'm here, too.- She kept her finger over her pistol's trigger, ready to put bullets into the first sign of movement. When she came to a wooden ladder, she climbed it to see most of the fort's footprint was a circular, dirt area, ringed by a walkway.

The fort was quiet, and still, but Claire could sense eyes on her, and wondered if she had enough ammunition to fend them all off. Even if she did, there was no way she would come out of it with enough bullets to get much farther, and she wondered more about what degrading things she'd have to do in order to buy more bullets from the pervert.

Cold and tired, Claire was far from conditions she normally found arousing, yet there was the now familiar burn smoldering inside her again. It was distant, but each time her mind came around to it, it had grown. She wondered, too, how bad it was for Ashley and Annette, and whether or not leaving them in the dumpster together had been wise.

There was a ladder leading down into the open area, and Claire used it, jumping from the halfway point. She set her sight on a a gray metal door on the other side, which she prayed would open to the other side of the trail.

When she reached the center of the arena, the door opened. All Claire could tell of the person who had stepped out was that they wore a blue dress, and white apron Another figure stepped from behind the first, this one all in white.

Suddenly, the area became lit by dozens of braziers and torches. Ganado had lined the walkway above the pit, but all Claire had eyes for were the two women who had come in from the door, and the chainsaws they carried. They came closer, starting up their saws, and Claire saw their faces. The one in blue was beautiful beneath the spiderweb of hideous scars her face bore. The one behind her, her sister from the look of it, was gorgeous too, only it was the expression she wore trounced her beauty; hatred mixed with anger, and glee, it shone on both their faces.

Claire began taking steps back, knowing range was her friend here, and realized the ground was just muddy enough to be a slipping hazard. The ganado atop the wall made no move to attack, and roared with jeers, taunts.

The woman in white, who carried a red chainsaw, remained by the door, while the other sister circled around to Claire's right. Her chainsaw was yellow, and the scar-faced woman screamed before charging at Claire with it. Claire fired into her chest, and clumsily sidestepped her, noting with new horror that she cared about being shot about as much as Dr. Salvador had.

The scar-faced woman charged again with the same results as before. The other sister shouted something, and the one with the scared face barked in agreement. With her free hand, she tore at her dress, removing it in strips and stepping out of it, then going after her undergarments until she stood naked, her pale body nearly glowing in the muddy arena.

Claire saw the scars ran over her entire form, which was slender with wide hips. Claire also noted the two bullet holes in the woman's chest, which leaked blood like sap from a scarred tree. The woman howled and charged again; this time Claire fired at her legs, hoping to damage muscle and tendons, to slow her down. The shots missed as the woman's speed was now greatly increased, but when Claire managed a last-second sidestep, she stuck her leg out and caught the woman by the feet, knocking her into the mud face first.

Seeing a chance to make a kill without bullets, Claire leapt onto her back and pinned her while she pulled out her hatchet. She was about to behead the scarred woman when the sound of another chainsaw close by made her roll to the side, avoiding having her head cut off.

The second sister attacked again, and came after Claire seeking to drive the saw blade into her belly. Claire scooted her buttocks forward and planted her feet in the other woman's stomach, the blade inches from Claire's chest. She grabbed the chainsaw by the handle and turned it to the side to avoid being cut, then kicked out, disarming the woman and knocking her down.

Now armed with a chainsaw, Claire let the rifle at her back slip off and realized she no longer held her pistol. The naked sister was on her feet, and had picked up her chainsaw. She circled towards Claire while the other one got undressed, allowing herself more freedom of movement.

"A naked chainsaw fight...okay," Claire muttered, certain this sort of thing never happened to male agents. She took the offense towards the sister with the chainsaw. Their blades touched and promptly broke, the motor on one sending the blade sailing through the air like a flicked rubber band.

The scar-faced sister looked to her saw, seemingly disappointed, and Claire used the distraction to bludgeon her upside the head with the saw she held. Claire lost her grip on it, and both tools sputtered to a stop in the mud, while Claire was grabbed from behind.

She ducked low and moved forward, but the other sister latched onto her vest and shirt. Twisting and ducking, Claire pulled away, now completely topless. "Oh, come on!" Claire shouted, thinking this was getting to be a bit much while she put distance between herself and the two women. She fought the urge to cover her bare breasts, knowing she'd need both arms to win. The two women chased her, and she circled away from them , only to be caught in a diving tackle by the scar-faced sister. Claire kicked and tried to roll away, but was pinned face down in the mud.

The woman got off her, but held onto her legs. In the struggle to escape, Claire found herself now without pants. Thinking this had to be some kind of set up, she used the chance to gain her feet again and move away from the sisters while searching for one of her guns in the mud. Unable to find either, or even a hatchet, she ran to the gray door, but found it locked.

The sisters kept up their pursuit, un-phased by the slippery footing, while Claire was wearing down, her lungs and muscles aching. Seeing no way out, the one thing she could think to do was go down fighting, not running, and so abruptly she turned and went to tackle the scar-faced sister. Her shoulder hit the woman under her ribs, and it felt like tackling a cow. The woman moved back only a step, and brought both her fists down on Claire's back, forcing her down.

Blows from feet rained down, then she was hooked beneath the armpits and hoisted to her feet by the other sister. The scar-faced one stood before her, grinning. "_Tiempo para sufrir, perra,_" she said, and punched Claire in the stomach. She bent forward and was caught by an uppercut in the side of the jaw. She saw bright white spots dance across her vision as more blows hit her in the midsection.

When a knee collided once, then twice, with her kidney, she was let go, and sunk to the ground on her hands and knees. A savage kick caught her in the ribs, flipping her onto her back. A stomp to the stomach, a kick to the head, and Claire curled into a ball, wondering how long it took to be beaten to death.

The blows stopped, and she could hear the sisters arguing about which one would get to kill her. Claire used the opportunity to take deep, painful breaths, ones relatively free of foul odors aside from the heavy, wet smell of mud.

The sisters seemed to have reached an accord. One sat hard on Claire's chest, shortening her breath under the press of her mud covered haunches and wrapped slender, strong hands around her throat. Claire weakly grabbed at the scar-faced woman's wrists, but her sister pulled her arms back, allowing the strangling to continue unhindered.

More angry than anything else, Claire soon felt those concerns melt away as black and purple spots exploded across her vision. It felt like her head might pop off and her thoughts turned completely to ones like where she was going. Was she going anywhere? Would she see her parents again? Why was she suddenly covered in warm, wet fluid? The pressure on her neck was no longer there, and the weight on her chest shifted sideways, letting her pull air painfully into her lungs.

Rolling to her side, Claire kept still, aware things were exploding around her. There was confusion on the walkway with ganado both running for cover and shaking their fists as things exploded around them. Claire could tell something good was happening, and wanted to move, but thought it best to keep low.

She didn't know how much time had passed, as all she wanted to do now was lose consciousness for a while. The thought of Ashley and the sound of squelching footsteps made her sit up and rub mud from her eyes.

"See, even without me around you end up naked and filthy," said Ada and she strolled over to stand next to the body of the scar-faced sister, who was missing most of her upper torso.

Claire tried to say something but could only cough. Ada offered her a hand, and she took it, rising uneasily to her feet. "They won't be gone for long," Ada said. "Get your weapons in order and save getting dressed until you make it to the gondolas up ahead."

"The gondolas?" Claire asked, her voice a raspy whisper.

"You'll see," Ada said. "I'll go back and get your little friends."

Claire shook her head, remembering what Ada said about finding Annette. She moved to stop Ada, but the other woman turned on her, putting a soft hand gently over Claire's bruised throat. "Don't," Ada said sharply. "Don't push it. I won't hurt either of them, you have my word. I know you need the drug to slow the parasite's growth and I know you'll need her to show you where the removal device is. I won't get in your way if you don't get in mine. This is thrice now I've saved your sorry ass, so you owe me anyway."

Claire felt her face turn red and she looked down at the mud covering her feet. "Fine, sorry," she said, her voice clearing.

"Don't mention it. One question," Ada lifted Claire's chin up and looked her in the eye. The woman's dark eyes were unreadable in Claire's hazy condition. "You and the president's daughter...is it true?"

"Is what true?" Claire said, wanting to sink down into the mud and sleep.

"Do you fool around with her?"

"It's none of your business."

Ada let Claire's chin fall and laughed. "Careful with those young, inexperienced women. They'll break your heart." She tussled Claire's mud matted hair and began walking away. "Be sure and get some ammo from that merchant next time to meet him. A three-way might buy you a small tank."

Claire watched her leave the arena and found herself more worried about what Ada would say to Ashley than anything else.

**To be continued...**


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen.**

Noises made inside the dumpster, the bump of feet, the rustle of clothes, were made to echo, while sounds from outside, when they could be heard, were distant and muffled. There had been shouting, and gunfire, followed by what was first thought to be thunder, until Annette said "Explosions." Twice Ashley had nearly left the confines of the hiding place, and twice Annette had stopped her, now having changed her mind about being in the dumpster.

Ashley didn't force the issue, as having Annette touch her now made her skin crawl. Thinking about how much she'd wanted the woman on her minutes before made her feel like it had been a dream, only the taste in her mouth and sweat on her skin was undeniable. Ashley tried to think of her times with Claire, and could only envision how she would react when she found out what had happened.

When the noises stopped, Ashley's desire to leave rose up again, but she forced herself to wait, knowing Claire might have been captured. -Not killed,- she kept repeating, and thinking of the battle in the church, where Claire had done something Ashley thought only happened in action movies.

Claire would come back, Ashley insisted. Maybe with bruises and cuts, but it would be her that opened the lid, soon.

It was not. When the lid came up, light from a nearby sap torch lit the top of Annette's face, which starred up at a gun. "Out, now," came a voice that did not belong to Claire. It was a woman's voice, one that sounded accustomed to being behind a gun.

Ashley shrank down as Annette climbed out. "You, too," said the voice.

The woman who held them at gunpoint wore a red dress with a high slip; the bottom was stained with mud. She had short, dark hair, darker eyes, and a heart-shaped face.

"Annette Birkin, you have something I want. Hand it over," the woman said.

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Annette.

"I don't have time for stupid games," said the woman. "Your key card. Give it to me and I'll be on my way."

"Where's Claire?" asked Ashley, her fear over Claire overriding her fear of this woman. "What have you done with here?"

"I saved her, like I usually do," the woman said with a sly smile. "She's up ahead getting dressed. I'll send you both on your way as soon as I get what I want."

"Dressed?" asked Ashley, now more confused than afraid.

"I'm not giving you a damn thing," said Annette. "You're Wesker, aren't you?"

"I told Claire I wouldn't hurt you," the woman said. "But Claire isn't here." Her gun cracked, sending out a flash of smoke. The bullets sunk into the mud at Annette's feet and she jumped back, hitting the dumpster.

"Alright, fine," Annette said, reaching into her coat pocket and pulling out something like a credit card. She tossed it like a Frisbee, and the woman caught it, which Ashley found oddly impressive.

"What are you planning to do, steal a sample of the Plaga?" Annette asked. "Is the Veronica virus not suiting Albert's needs?"

"I think you'd better get going before I decide you're a liability," said the woman.

Annette began walking immediately, and Ashley made to follow. The woman's gun went up again, now aimed at Ashley. "Hold it, I want a word with you," she said, and Ashley froze. Annette didn't lose a beat, and disappeared into the fort. The woman in the red dress stepped closer, placing one foot directly in front of the other, and forced Ashley back against the dumpster.

Ashley could feel the gun barrel touching her stomach, but her attention was fixed on the woman's face. Her mouth was a tight line, her eyes narrow with disdain as well as curiosity. "Do you know who I am?" the woman asked.

Keeping her head up, Ashley tried not to tremble. The woman mentioned Claire like she knew her, and there was that comment about clothes to consider. Claire had never mentioned a person who fit this woman's description, mostly she talked about her brother. Ashley shook her head, slowly.

"My name is Ada. Claire and I used to be partners. Close partners."

Ashley's mouth went dry. She had little dating experience herself, but was well aware of the drama an ex could cause, even without an automatic weapon.

"Please to meet you," she said, trying not to stammer. "I'm Ashley."

Ashley raised her right hand for a shake, her wrist level with her midsection. The hand was clasped and squeezed, hard. Ashley squeezed back, even though it hurt. "Nice to meet you, Ashley. I'm happy Claire hasn't lowered her standards...much."

"Um, thanks," Ashley said.

Ada released her hand and took a step back. She lowered the gun and looked Ashley up and down, more so than was polite.

"So, Claire has never mentioned me?"

"Not by name," Ashley said. "I'm sure she said something, we don't talk much about her past..."

"Enough," Ada said. "If you don't come running along soon, our dear Claire might think I've done something terrible to you and come running. I don't want to slow her down. None of you have much time. I just wanted to see who was warming Claire's bed these days."

"Hey!" Ashley said, not believing Claire had told such a thing to anyone, even an ex lover.

Ada's smile reflected a confirmed suspicion. "I actually feel sorry for you. I gave Claire a bit of a taste for forbidden fruit, and you, dear, are about as off-limits as it gets for someone like her. She knows it, too. I never took her for the heart-breaker type."

"Claire's not like that," Ashley said.

"She must be. I can tell by how you two act it's more than pillow games, which is a shame because it can't last. Don't tell me you haven't thought about that? Claire I know has, unless she's far more stupid than I thought."

"Shut up. It's none of your business," Ashley said, feeling her cheeks burn. She also kept an eye on Ada's gun and told herself not to get mouthy.

Ada looked at her watch, then towards the fort. She looked back at Ashley and seemed to ponder something. The movement was quick, freezing Ashley in place. Ada's lips were warm compared to her own, and her tongue's entry was violent, assertive. She felt a slender, firm hand around her hip as the other woman's body pressed against hers.

Ashley made no move to do anything, and let a hand slide first up her shirt over a breast, then down the front of her skirt, all while Ada's tongue probed in between nibbling teeth. Ashley only protested when Ada's fingers tenses over her womanhood.

As quick as it came, the coupling was off and Ada took two steps back, licking her lips, then the tips of her fingers. "Seems like you and the scientist had a little fun? It hit Claire earlier. Lucky thing I happened to be around. She's an animal if you pet her just right; maybe I can show you how it's done later."

Ashley felt her hand twitch, wanting to slap Ada, but she was too far away and there was still the gun. Ada blew her a kiss and turned, jogging down the direction they had come from, despite her long dress. Ashley stood still, numb all over and more confused than she had ever been.

**To be continued...**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen.**

The deep brown mud became wet, packed gravel the farther up hill Claire walked. She wore only her shoes, carrying her mud soaked clothes tied in a bundle at her hip. She looked up, wishing it would downpour again and take some of the mud from her, which was caking and becoming uncomfortable.

She came to a long, tin roofed shed, with dark windows Beyond it the road led to a large door, set into a rocky, steep hillside. While her path had been free of danger, she kept looking back for signs of Ashley, and hoped the girl would be along soon, as she was in a great deal of pain.

Thinking they would rest here a bit, Claire set about making sure the area was safe. She looked inside the tin roofed shed, the front part of which held dusty, dented lockers and assorted tools. Towards the back, larger items were kept, scrap metal, car parts and the like. Finding a light switch, she flipped it and illuminated the back half of the building.

In the corner was a makeshift shower stall, formed from sheets of tin. A green hose had been run up over the top, rigged to feed over a steel colander.

She took a closer look, and her nipples stiffening at the thought of how cold the water must be, but intrigued by the idea all the same. Wearing wet clothes was one thing, wearing wet clothes laced with mud was another.

Claire set her clothes down and all her gear save for her binoculars. She went to the nearest window, cleaned off some of the grime that had collected on the inside, and looked out.

There was light coming from a metal platform that had been obscured by the roll of a hill. Claire saw what looked to her like ski lifts, but had to be the gondolas Ada mentioned. They were moving, leading over an inky drop off to some distant, lighted area Claire could not make out, even with the binoculars.

She took a look at the gate in the hill, and saw there was raised fresco in the center shaped like a man's face. A bald man with a long beard, who after some squinting Claire recognized as Mendez. His face was a steel plate over a heavy latch, keeping the slabs of wood held shut. One of his eyes was red, like a jewel.

Momentarily satisfied there were no enemies lying in wait, Claire spread her clothes out and prepared to keep watch for Ashley and Annette at the window, but when she finished setting her clothes out, she screamed. Holding her mud-covered chest, she glared at the pervert who had come up silently behind her, and kept a respectful, if close, distance. "Good ta see ye," he said. "Looks like ye made it out o' the village in one piece."

"Do you know how to get past the gate?" she asked, thinking it pointless to chastise him for being creepy.

"Aye, I do," he said. "'Fraid you won't like it much."

"I'll just find another way," she said.

"Nope," he said without malice. "Assuming you can fly, there's only three ways past that door. One, fly over the gorge, two, go through the door, or three, head on around through the woods, which I wouldn't recommend."

"Just tell me how to get through the door," Claire said. "And if you have any bullets for sale, I'd like those too. And let's make it quick, whatever it is."

The pervert cleared his throat. "Price has gone up," he said. "'Fraid you won't cut it on yer own."

She felt her cheeks turning red while a cold sensation settled between her ribs. "No way. I know what you're thinking, and it's not happening."

He shrugged. "Yer in rough shape," he said. "Maybe it wouldn't be so rough with a few extra bullets, eh?"

Claire leaned against a table, her arms still over her chest. When it was clear her withering stare had no effect on the pervert, she looked out the window, ready to wave Ashley and Annette on in when they came Every few minutes she looked back at the pervert, who stood quietly with a blank gaze, the rest of his face covered by his scarf. He reminded her of a porcupine she'd seen once, doddering and harmless, but with an aura of latent menace.

"What the hell are you?" she asked, unable to stand him anymore.

"Me? I'm a businessman, like I said."

Claire's mouth opened, but all she could do was shake her head and look back out the window, where she saw Ashley and Annette walking cautiously up the road. Claire went outside and waved them over, forgetting she was nude.

"What's he doing here?" Annette asked when they entered and saw the dark hooded pervert.

"Guess," said Claire.

"Good 'ta see ye again," said the pervert, giving Annette her a curt salute. "And nice meetin' you, ma'am," he said, dipping his head to Ashley.

Ashley looked between Claire and the pervert. "You know each other?" she asked.

"Yep," Claire said, moving to her clothes and beginning pick them up for a rinse. "He says he's a businessman. He's been trading me information and weapons for...services. He knows how to get past that door over there, plus he has ammunition for sale. I'll let him explain what he charges."

"Down to business, I like it," the pervert said. "I deal in weapons mostly, but my hobby is pornography."

Claire kept her eye on Ashley's face, expecting to see it twist in disgust. Instead, while still looking uncomfortable, Claire could clearly see curiosity on the girl's face.

"I don't get it," Ashley said. "You're creeping around a place like this trading weapons and bullets for...porn acting? How does that work?"

"I have a camera, see..."

"No, like, how do you profit from that? Is this the first time you've done this?"

"I run a highly exclusive subscription service," said the pervert, no trace of defensiveness in his voice. "It's quite lucrative, really. Strictly traditional media, no Internet, as I explained to yer friends."

Ashley looked at Claire, as though about to ask if this were a gag. Claire shrugged.

"So what do you need to load us up with guns and bullets?"

"Ashley!?" Claire blurted, stepping forward.

Ashley cast her a sharp glance. "What? You've been doing it, so it can't be _that_ bad. We need what he has don't we? If you're not going to rob him, what are the other choices?"

Claire's mouth hung open. She had been preparing to reluctantly convince Ashley that flashing a bit of skin was in the best interest of their survival, but now she found herself wanting to talk Ashley out of it.

"There are no other choices," Annette said. "They may look like just an angry mob of peasants, but as you've seen, they're closer to a guerrilla army. The woods are teeming with monsters and traps...more so than the road we've been following. She's right, unless you're going to rob him, ask him what he wants and lets get it over with."

The pervert had kept still with his arms crossed. "Fine," Claire said. "What is it this time? Keep in mind we're all tired and I was almost beaten to death half an hour ago."

"Heh, I know. Got some good shots of yer mud wrestlin' match," said the pervert, patting a camera-sized lump in his coat pocket.

"Hey! That should count, then!" said Claire.

"Nope. You were outside in full view of the public, you had no reasonable expectation of privacy. Had you been indoors at a private event, that would've been a different story, but..."

"Alright already," Claire said. "Get to the point so we can move on."

The pervert cleared his throat. "Well it just so happens you've stumbled into my next idea for a set," he said, jerking a thumb towards the makeshift shower. "How about, eh, you help your pal get herself nice n' clean, then?" he said to Ashley.

Ashley nodded, slowly. "Got a brush and soap?"

The pervert reached into his coat and held up a half-depleted bar of green soap. "Outta brushes," he said. "You'll have ter use yer hands." He had begun removing an impressive amount of recording equipment from inside his coat, setting up a tripod and fixing a recorder to it. He tossed a digital shutter camera to Annette and told her to take still pictures.

"You know how this would look if he breaks his word, right?" Claire said to Ashley, who stepped close to her. She could detect a faint smile at the corners of her mouth, and wondered if the parasite inside her was not lubricating her thoughts.

"Oh, please," Ashley said. "Do a Google image search of me sometime, see what you get. There's even a girl who looks just like me who has her own porn site. Calls herself Assley Cram, or something."

Claire raised an eyebrow. She'd known Ashley had been the subject of many a Photoshop project, but had never heard the girl speak of it.

"How do we turn it on?" Claire asked.

"Oh, right," said the pervert, trundling behind the shower and rummaging around. The squeak of a valve heralded the glut of water that came choking from the hose, hitting the colander with a hiss.

Ashley removed the sweater tied around her neck, threw it on a table next to the soap, and pulled her orange sleeveless shirt off, slowly, from the bottom up, showing her long, curvy midsection. Claire, distracted, shook her head and put a hand under the water, bracing herself for the ice storm. The water was hot.

"Water heater out back," said the pervert, seeing Claire's look of surprise. Ashley was now stepping out of her skirt. She kicked off her boots and slid her panties down, flinging them up to her hand with a deft kick. Her bra was the last to come off, and Claire felt herself tingle.

A clean, pale hand touched Claire's mud caked shoulder and guided her beneath the water, which felt amazing to the point where she could not resist a quiet moan. It became a wince, soon, however as the water found its way over her scrapes and cuts.

As the mud flowed off her and found its way to a hole in the floor. Ashley stepped beneath the water with Claire, holding the soap in the hand that reached around her back. "What happened?" Ashley asked, her lips close to Claire's.

"Got into some trouble, but had some help. I guess you've met Ada?"

"I did," said Ashley, her voice low, barely audible under the babble and hiss of water. "She said some things, but I understand."

"What did she tell you?"

Ashley smiled and pulled Claire close, getting herself muddy as water pooled precariously between their breasts. "The usual ex speech," Ashley said. "This will end badly, she's better in bed, blah, blah, blah."

Claire smiled, but felt her insides tighten at the tone in Ashley's voice. "Be careful around her," Claire said. "Not just because she's my ex, she's a dangerous person working for dangerous people."

Ashley kissed her, then began rubbing soap on her back, then her front. Claire stepped aside enough to let a lather build, free of the water. Ashley used both hands to cover Claire's shoulders, chest, arms, and stomach, careful to avoid as best she could the places where Claire had lost skin, and been bruised. Claire felt light kisses places near the cuts, and on the bruises when Ashley found them, and despite her audience could not help but touch the top of Ashley's head as she knelt to lather Claire's legs and buttocks. She didn't look at the camera, not wanting her face to be seen any more than it had to, and toyed with the idea of calling the deal off and keeping the moment private. -Need the ammo,- she thought. -We won't get far with what we've got.-

When Ashley stood, Claire stepped under the water and pulled Ashley tight. She pressed her lips close to Ashley's ear, affecting a nibble. "He wants porn, give him porn. Lets keep being sweet to ourselves."

Ashley nodded, a sly smile now on her face. She kissed Claire, who felt Ashley's hands on her, wiping her down while caressing her wet skin. She kept still, letting Ashley touch her and feeling the need begin to build and burn between her legs. She set to washing the mud from her hair, letting it down by pulling out the tie, and gasped when Ashley's fingers slid into her.

The girl had gone to her knees again and was done cleaning. She spread Claire with her fingers and flicked her tongue over the wet, pink flesh. Claire used the shed wall for support, as the two tin sheets that made up the stall were not strong enough for balance. The pervert had moved his camera closer while Annette's camera could be heard, clicking.

One of Ashley's hands slid up Claire's body and found her breast, tickling the nipple with her finger tips. Claire began to play with her other breast, letting Ashley's eager, probing tongue fill her with a tension. Her hand fell on Ashley's head out of habit and a need for balance. Toes began to curl as the tongue between her legs ferreted out the sensitive spots, uncovering veins of pleasure that bled through her body.

Claire began to come, leaning on the wall, and on Ashley for support. Ashley made her tongue go faster, eliciting rapid gasps from Claire. When the water suddenly went frigid, Claire shrieked and jumped away, losing her balance and falling on her bare buttocks. Ashley crawled away too, laughing.

"That'll do," said the pervert, chuckling as they collected themselves. "Nice touch at the end there, not enough humor in the business, these days."

The pervert went to turn the water off, and Claire glared at Annette who was still taking pictures.

**To be continued...**


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen.**

Her clothes were wet and heavy, but clean, and if Claire could not have a helicopter pick them up within the hour, then she would hope for a chance to dry herself. As she stepped onto the moving gondola platform, she thought back to her training, the first weeks of which had been spent dirty and cold on some army base in the American northwest. There she had been taught to adjust her sense of normal, to not think about old notions of comfort. Claire had left the training with high marks, but also with the knowledge that she was not one destined for a life in the trenches.

She turned when she didn't feel the jostle of Ashley and Annette stepping into the gondola with her. They had missed it, and were waiting for the next to come around. Claire held her breath and watched Annette for an instant before the two got on.

Ashley now carried a pistol, while Annette had been trusted with the shotgun. In showing Ashley how to use her weapon, Claire had been reminded of those first hours in Raccoon City she had spent trying to put bullets through the heads of swaying zombies. Maybe one out of every five bullets had found its mark, and that was being generous.

Claire wondered if she had been a better shot then, would she have met Ada like she did.

-Focus,- she said to herself, seeing the end of the gondola ride was near. At the bottom was a metal platform dug unto the side of the cliff. A building with oval windows was tucked into the corner, and next to it she could see a dirt path leading down and around the cliff. She got off the lift and could see the castle they were headed for, perhaps a mile off in the opposite direction.

The pervert had told her that to get past the gate bearing the face of Mendez, they would need his eye. Apparently one was glass, and the door was a high-tech retinal scanner. Mendez, said the pervert, was somewhere at the end of the gondola lift, last he heard. Claire asked what the point of the gate was if the entire area was controlled by ganado, and to that the pervert had no answer.

Claire was pretending to stare at the castle, but her eyes were really on Ashley as she came down the gondola. It occurred to her she would likely not be able to see the girl after this, aside from through a screen or tabloid, and now had the urge to look at her as much as possible. Ashley seemed more focuses on her surroundings, and looked around as though her jaw wanted to drop. Her eyes met Claire's, and for a moment Ashley seemed to look at her like a stranger, but it was fleeting and she winked.

Claire winked back, knowing how strange she must look armed like she was. She saw Ashley's eyes go wide. "Claire!" Ashley shouted, pointing towards something behind Claire.

Five ganado had come up the path around the cliff, three men and two women. Their clothes were soaked and filthy, their faces gray and twisted with anger. Claire caught their eyes and forced herself to see them as monsters, not people. She was thankful for their slinking gait and snarling faces, as it made seeing them that way easier.

Hoping Ashley and especially Annette would have the sense not to shoot with Claire in between them, she fired at the knees of the two men who had taken the lead, causing one to stumble and the other to fall. Calmly, she fired at the heads and chests of the two women, who carried hatchets they intended to throw.

Her bullet killed one woman outright, while the other had her eye socket taken out, causing the hatchet she was in the middle of throwing to go awry and strike the man Claire hadn't shot yet. The flat end of the hatchet hit him, and he seemed not to notice as he charged.

Claire ran from him and swept his legs out with a kick as he changed direction to go after her. She fired three times into him as he lie on the ground, and his neck exploded, freeing the parasite inside. She backed away to avoid the lashing, bladed tentacle, and bumped into Annette, who had come off the gondola, and now moved around Claire to pepper the ganado who had gained their feet with buckshot.

Ashley had come up close as well, as Claire killed the parasite, but Claire kept in front of her while changing her magazine, and killed the remaining ganado. "Save you bullets," Claire said to Ashley, who seemed equal parts relieved and disappointed that she had not gotten to shoot.

Claire went first down the slope, and bid Annette to go next to her, should the shotgun be needed. The path was lit by some torches, and led inward, away from the gorge, to where it sloped down drastically and ended at a large barn, three times the size of the shed Claire and Ashley had showered in. The big metal doors in the front were open, and there were lights on inside.

"Switch with me," Claire said, handing her rifle off to Annette.

"I'm not that good a shot," Annette said.

"I don't need you to shoot, I just want that shotgun in case I run into trouble down there. You two stay, if something happens I want you to run back to that building and barricade yourselves there," said Claire.

She expected an argument from Ashley, but got none, and after checking to make sure the shotgun was ready to fire, she went down towards the light. Inside, the building smelled of motor oil and gas. She could see barrels of diesel fuel had been lined up around the walls, and in the walkway above there were oxygen cylinders and other fuel containers. There was no back door, and no ganado, and just as Claire was about to see if there was anything useful amidst the clutter, something heavy dropped to the ground behind her.

She spun as she heard Ashley shout. Bitores Mendez filled the doorway, and Claire surmised that he must have dropped down from the rafters. He shut the double metal doors and flipped the two metal handles that locked them in place. Claire felt her stomach drop to her knees when he twisted the handles into a crude knot.

When he turned, the light bulb above and behind him made his bald head gleam, leaving his face in shadow. She could see his red, glass eye had caught some light from elsewhere, and was reflecting it.

"I warned you," he said, his voice wet and buzzing. "But you did not listen."

He came forward and Claire shot him in the chest. The buckshot left black, smoking holes in his overcoat, but he did not slow down, or speed up. She fired twice more, aiming for his legs. He staggered and grunted, more from annoyance than pain, and Claire used the chance to run to the back of the barn and begin climbing the ladder to the walkway.

At the top, she heard metal scraping and ducked in time to avoid being hit by an oil barrel that sailed over her head and hit the back of the wall with a slosh and a clang. Claire turned and fired down on Mendez. He held a hand up as though deflecting hail, and rather than climb the ladder, jumped. His hand caught the edge of the walkway and he pulled himself up, his own weight being nothing to him.

-I just a few steps back,- she thought, remembering the last time she tried to move Mendez. She ran at him and threw her shoulder into his hip as hard as she could. She felt him move, but it was to turn sideways, letting her go over the edge, only to be caught before she could fall. She flailed, wanting to fall rather than be in his iron clutches, but found herself hanging over the edge with Mendez's hand wrapped around the front of her shirt. He tore the shotgun from her grip and sent it downward.

"Our gift runs in your blood," he said, grabbing her jeans and tugging them down. "It's a shame you've forced us to kill you before you can learn to appreciate it."

His massive hand groped her buttocks before making its way between her thighs. Gritting her teeth, she tried to keep her alarm from overriding her reason. She wouldn't escape him by strength, even though she kicked at him as best she could with her pants around her ankles.

She noticed their fight had moved them off center along the walkway, which she hoped put her over barrels that had been stacked on their sides. He was making a low, grunting sound as he groped her, and she tucked her legs up in the guise of a kick, grabbing a grenade that she'd hung from her belt.

It was a flash-bang. She'd been hoping for a frag grenade, but this would do better, she thought, and pulled the pin with her teeth, then tucked it down the front of Mendez's coat.

He looked at her for a second, having been engrossed in what he was doing to her, and dropped her upon realizing what she'd done. Her buttocks hit the barrels first, causing them to come loose and for her to fall off the pile while they crashed around her. They were mostly empty, and she was able to jerk her pants back up and draw her pistol.

The smell of gas was strong now, and she moved away from where she was on realizing one or more of the rusted barrels had ruptured in the fall. When there was some distance between her and the barrels, she turned and searched for one of the incendiary grenades the pervert had sold her. Keeping it behind her back, she fired at Mendez with her pistol, catching his attention, which had been on removing his coat.

He jumped down among the barrels. Claire could see his burnt chest from where the grenade had gone off, and quickly pulled the pin on the incendiary grenade before throwing it. He was engulfed in flames immediately, and began pawing at his skin, which came away in black sheets. His human screams became mixed with a high pitched keening sound, like that of a lobster being boiled. He began twisting at the hips in what looked like an attempt to throw the fire off him, but to little avail.

The barn had filled with black smoke and Claire found it hard to breath. She removed a frag grenade from her belt, tucked it into the twisted knot of metal at the door, and pulled the pin as she ran behind a support beam. Mendez had fallen and was crawling towards her, but she didn't dare move into the open. She had her ears covered when the grenade went off, and felt the air rush in from outside, fueling the flames.

-I'll dig his eye from the wreckage,- Claire thought, wanting to be away from the barn before the rest of the fuel containers caught fire. She looked to see the door had been blown open, and ran towards it, but felt her foot catch on something, making her fall.

It was Mendez. He had split in two, and was moving along on insectoid legs that sprouted from the stump of his torso and sides. His blacked face showed a mouth of yellow teeth, which split to make room for two mandibles as the legs behind him became more pronounced and moved him closer.

He was almost on top of her, and as the back of the building began to cave in, she pushed her gun over his flesh eye, and fired, driving the gun in deeper with each shot. He made a watery, yawing sound before his skull came apart, and his grip on her slackened. She reached into the ruined mass of his head and clutched a small, hard orb, his eye, then scrambled to her feet and out the door as a draft of hot air blew at her backside.

Ashley and Annette were moving towards her, apparently just having beat a retreat from the exploded door.

"Did you get it?" Annette asked.

Claire held up the eye and coughed. "Come on, let's go before anyone sees the smoke."

**To be continued...**


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen.**

After Mendez's eye was held up to the retinal scanner, the lock clicked and the gate slid open, allowing the road to continue uphill, flanked on either side by high, steep banks. Claire did not like being hemmed in, but was feeling good from having killed Mendez, despite the loss of the shotgun. "You're paying for a new one," Annette had said.

The hill the trio was going up dipped before continuing upward in earnest, and just as they began their way up out of the dip, a diesel engine coughed to life out of sight. When it crested the top of the rise, they were all bathed in the greasy glow of the headlights for an instant before the big truck began its descent towards them.

"Get off the road!" Claire shouted, boosting Ashley up the steep bank, while Annette scrambled at the loose dirt in an effort to follow. Ashley grabbed a root and was able to make it up, as was Annette. Claire knew she couldn't climb on her own, not without the risking of pulling Ashley down, and a spring to the door was unlikely, as her limbs were heavy from her ordeals.

"Crap," Claire muttered, drawing her pistol and taking aim at the driver's side of the truck where a ganado leered at her. She fired twice, her bullets making spiderwebs on the windshield over the driver. The truck jerked sideways, plowing into the bank and catching itself on a rock. The front end stopped while the back end came around, wedging the vehicle in the road and stopping it.

Claire let out a loud breath."Come on," she said, waving for Ashley and Annette to follow her. "We can slip under the truck."

They went under it on their bellies and Claire could hear dozens of ganado cursing and snarling above her, trapped in the truck's rear cab. They reached the other side as the wooden cab began to splinter from being chopped from within, and ran to the top of the hill as ganado came pouring out, wielding pitchforks and other tools.

On flat ground, they picked up speed and came to a wooden bridge that led to the castle on the other side of the gorge. Claire saw the long span of wood led to an arched entryway that was unguarded. It was set into the bottom of high, gray stone walls. Claire could see what looked like a pair of cranks on either side of the bridge, near the archway, which she hoped would lower a gate.

Tossing a flash-bang at the host behind them, Claire bid the other two women to run across the bridge. They reached it, and Claire began turning one of the cranks, while Ashley and Annette went after the other. She saw the bridge begin to retract, and while a few ganado leaped to their doom, most stopped at the edge of the gorge and shouted threats.

The crank work had left Claire's arms feeling like pudding, and she sunk down to rest, as did the other two. -We're not safe here,- she thought, and kept an ear out for danger that could come from the archway, while testing her radio. It still emitted a high-pitched whine, and Claire could only pray the jamming device was close by.

They moved inside, and stopped at a small courtyard at the bottom of a series of stone steps that led upward. "Annette," Claire said. "What do you know about this place?"

"It's huge," Annette said. "Old, too, but it's been occupied forever by some fairly eccentric people. We should keep moving. The drugs I need aren't that far from us, but getting around this place won't be easy."

"Let's go, then," Claire said, moving up the steps. "I'll lead, you point me in the right direction. Ashley, I want you to..."

"No," Ashley said. "I'm staying with you. If something bad happens to you, I'm just as screwed as if I was with you or not."

Claire felt a sudden burst of anger which was gone as fast as it came, but made Ashley flinch. "Sorry," Claire said, feeling her skin growing hot. "You're right."

"It's the parasite," Annette said, looking closely at Claire. "The stress you've been putting on your body has weakened your resistance. The side effects will be sharper and more frequent as it grows and bonds with you."

"Delightful," Claire said, feeling like she wanted to punch Annette again. "No time to waste, then."

As they moved into the castle, Claire, while not an architecture buff, could tell the building was a mess, design-wise. She got the feeling that many of its features had been put to give the feel of a medieval castle rather than the function, but even so would give three lightly armed women plenty of trouble.

The opportunities for ambushes seemed plentiful as they moved between towers and down open air halls. Claire saw no signs of life and was starting to hope it would stay that way, until she came around a corner and saw a black robed figured dart away, around another corner at the end of a small hall.

"Hey!" she called out, sprinting to where she'd seen the figure run. She rounded the corner in time to see a wooden door at the end of a high keep close.

"Wait," Annette said, catching up. "This place is more dangerous than it looks, and it's staffed by members of Saddler's cult, not villagers.

"Well then we should catch that guy before he tells everyone we're here, right?"

Claire had a sense their arrival was already known and a trap was about to be sprung, but since her fatigue began to leave her, she felt a sense of recklessness she couldn't shake. She went to the door where the man had disappeared and opened it. Beyond was a giant room, held up by stone columns on either side, with a red carpet leading under something that caught and held Claire's attention. It was a stone statue that hung upside down from the ceiling. It depicted a Greek god or Jesus Christ, Claire wasn't sure which from the angle. Beneath the statue was an alter splattered with fresh, red blood. Something dark and meaty lie in the center, and the smell of a butcher shop hung in the air about it as they moved past.

Beyond the statue was an archway, and Claire immediately regretted stepping past it, even before the portcullis came down with a bang, making Ashley scream and Annette curse. Claire felt the same way, but part of her had been expecting it. She now focused on what was at the other end of the room.

Sitting on a raised throne was a short, pale man with white hair topped by a tricorn hat. He was dressed in purple clothes with gold trim, and reminded Claire of old paintings. On either side of him were two hooded figures, larger than the one she'd seen running. One wore a red robe, the other black. Their deep hoods only revealed two features, reflective yellow eyes and insectoid mandibles and flexed with a slow rhythm.

"Let me guess, you must be Captain Crunch?" said Claire, crossing her arms as she stopped a few meters from the man on the throne. He made no move to show he was concerned, and neither did his body guards.

His face remained blank, but she could tell his red-tinted eyes were appraising her. She almost flinched when he burst out into high-pitched, cackling laughter. "Very funny, Ms. Redfield," he said, after he'd settled down. "My name is Ramon Salazar, the eighth castellan of this magnificent architecture you've intruded upon."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to trespass, but you see this cult of jerks kidnapped by friend here, and I'm rescuing her. Hope you don't mind the mud we tracked in."

"Don't misunderstand me," Salazar said. "I'm pleased that you've come. The village ganado, they are not groomed so well as the zealots loyal to Los Illuminados, and thus are more inclined to give themselves over to baser instincts. I would be mortified if any guests under my care, such as yourselves, were to be, ah, dishonored."

"No, we wouldn't want _that,_" Claire said. "Well seeing as how our 'honor' is so important you, maybe you can tell me how to get this stupid bug out of our bodies? I don't like to get rough with old people, but..."

He laughed again, interrupting her. "I'll have you know I'm only twenty years old, Ms. Redfield. And...available."

Claire laughed, hoping to keep the conversation going until she thought of a better plan the one she had to throw a grenade at his feet and pray the two creatures at his side were mostly for show. "You're going to need more than a mind-control parasite to make that happen, buddy. If you are only twenty, then what the heck happened to you?"

Salazar sneered, showing off his small teeth. He seemed about to retort, but shook his head. "No more talk, just die."

Before she could raise her gun, he tugged a small chain next to his armrest and the floor came away under her feet. Claire fell into darkness, feeling death rush up to meet her.

**To be continued...**


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen.**

While her time in the weightless dark was short, it was enough for despair to grip her heart. Thoughts of what the freaks above would do to her sweet Ashley in their effort to control the world didn't have time to form completely, but were enough to make her hopeful the end would come soon, and she wouldn't lie long, broken on some dark dungeon floor, while the life bled out from her.

She landed on a pile of pungent straw, and while it wasn't a painless landing, nothing broke. Thinking some more elaborate demise had been planned, she rolled off the straw pile and to her feet, pointing her pistol as shadows that flickered over the walls, cast by a single torch.

She heard a pair of hands clap together and rub themselves, followed by an "Boy, I'm good at this." It was the pervert, who stepped out from the shadows to look up at the hole Claire had fallen through. He pulled a small caliber gun from his coat and fired it up into the hole. There was a _ting_ sound, like a BB hitting a spittoon, followed by a distant scream.

The pervert chuckled and holstered the gun. "That'll teach 'im to eavesdrop," he said, and turned to Claire. "Aye, you shoulda seen me; I sawed out them spikes he had laid here, n' I piled all this hay in the nick 'a time. Lucky the floor's dirt, otherwise yer arse 'id be broke."

Claire holstered her gun and tried to gather her wits. Burning in her mind was what might be happening to Ashley. -They need her,- she thought. -It's Annette who's not safe.-

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked.

"Yer welcome," he said, not sounding hurt.

"Sorry. Thank you," she said. "But I didn't ask for help, so I don't owe you anything."

"I didn't say ya did," said the pervert. "But you'll be needin' some guidance, and I dare say some more firepower. Ye saw them blokes in the robes? Tough, they be, and I expect one 'ill be down 'ta kill ye pretty soon."

"He'll kill you, too," she said, wondering if his gunshot hadn't been to let Salazar know things hadn't gone as he'd planned. "We're in it together now."

"Ah...nope," said the pervert. "He won't bother the likes 'o me, I assure ye. Now, 'kin we get down 'ta business, or will you be making all my hard work so far count fer nuthin' by runnin' off with them pea-shooters?"

Claire rubbed her forehead, now noticing that she was aroused once more. "Alright," she said, amidst a sigh. "What is it _this_ time?"

"Easy, really. I need you to, ah..what's the word...fellate this here gun while I take some pictures."

"Fellate...the gun?" Claire said, staring at him as he reached into the folds of his long coat and pulled out one of the biggest handguns she'd ever seen. It was silver colored, and it shined like a beacon in the gloom as he kept it pointed towards the ceiling. He opened the cylinder before gripping it by the barrel and handing it to her. She took it, feeling the rough black handle and its weight. "Wow," she said, admiring it.

"I know, right," said the pervert, taking out a small digital camera. He touched a front pocket over his breast, causing a small, powerful light to activate and make her squint. "Now, do your best to pretend that's a fella's business, and you're showin' him a good time. I know you ain't in to that, but..."

"Don't talk me out of it," she said, her mouth already watering in anticipation of the awful, metallic taste.

"You can keep the gun after your done," he said. "Normally I'd need a little more from ye before I parted with that beauty, but that bloke that 'ol Salazar set loose 'ill tear ye in half and beat ye with the wet end if you try and get 'im with that pistol or rifle. Granted, I know people interested in pictures of that sorta thing, but..."

"Just...stop talking," she said, closing her eyes. She snapped the cylinder back after making sure it wasn't loaded, and held the gun up, imagining a long, stiff dick was before her. Contrary to the pervert's assumptions, she did enjoy men, just none lately. She flicked her tongue out for a taste test and recoiled. Working up a mouthful of spit, she attacked the barrel with her tongue, the more she licked the more the taste diminished, although never completely.

Her tongue moved up and down the barrel. She opened her eyes and gave the pervert's camera a seductive, half-lided look, trying not to blink as the camera flashed. She got to the top and licked the gun sight, tasting the faint tang of gunpowder near the bore's edge. Claire steeled herself and put her mouth over the gun, clamping her lips around it as she pulled up, sucking.

She took it out and spit on the ground. "I think I'm going to barf," she said, leaning over.

"I know folk into that, too," said the pervert, as he glanced down the tunnel. "But time's a runnin' out. Guess you can owe me one."

"What?"

"I can hear 'im, he's close by. You'll be wantin' these." He handed her a black box with red trim. Inside were the bright cap ends of .44 magnum rounds. "Half are armor piercing, the other are hollow points. I recommend the cop-killers, for now."

She found the armor piercing rounds were bunched on one end of the box, and she pulled six from the plastic rack that held them, then loaded them into the gun which she then dried on her pant leg. Turning the gun's safety off, she stood by the tunnel and waited.

"Hey," said the pervert. "If you fight 'im naked, we can be even for the gun."

She shot the pervert a dirty look and went down the tunnel, keeping her ears trained for the bodyguard's approach.

There had been a tunnel leading out of the pit, which led down to a ladder that brought her up into a more modern passageway, lined with electric lights and piping. She heard what she first thought was a heating system chugging, but realized it was the monster, moving much faster than she'd expected. When she saw it, it had dropped its robe and clung to the mesh ceiling like a gecko, or one of the Licker monsters she'd met in Raccoon City.

It stopped when it saw her, and fell to the ground, getting to its feet. It was an anthropoid, and was covered in a shiny, black segmented exoskeleton. Behind it waived a long, armored tail tipped with a barb. It fixed her in its yellow gaze and its mandibles, the remnants of a human jawbone, chattered.

"Bye, ugly," Claire said, raising the magnum and firing. The recoil made her wrists sting and the sound in the confined space was like having her head clapped between a pair of cymbals. The bullet struck the thing in the chest, and it charged. She fired again, this time the bullet hitting its shoulder. The sound and recoil left her reeling and unable to dodge, as the monster's head connected with her stomach, lifting her off her feet and twisting her into the wall.

She brought the magnum towards the thing's face, but a clawed hand caught her wrist and slammed it into the wall, causing the gun to drop.

The monster made a rattling sound in its chest as the tail came up between its legs to touch her. She kicked at it, but felt the tail barb hook over the top of her jeans and slice them open, severing her belt. She cursed, swatting at the creature's face, but it ignored her to pull her pants off with its free hand.

She looked to see where her gear had fallen and if there was a way to reach it, but screamed when she saw what was between the monster's legs. A nest of gray tentacles had unfurled and were surrounded by a long, gray, penis that jutted upward, erect. She was lowered and pressed against the wall by the thing's hard body. The tentacles wrapped around her thighs and held her still, while the cock brushed the outside of her.

The aroused feeling from before now flared up, and while she continued to fight with her hands, she felt relief as the cock slid into her, spreading her open and sending waves of pleasure up through her body. She could neither fight nor help the creature, as it pinned her tighter and seemed to be able to thrust its cock without moving its hips.

The monster began to make rapid clicking sounds, which became like a purr, as it thrust harder. She felt something warm rush into her as the monster growled, stepping backward and falling to the ground on top of her.

It paused for a moment before thrusting again, and she let it do so as her arms fell away from beating about its head. Her right arm she stretched out, feeling for the magnum. Suddenly it reared up, and she froze. Its clawed hands clamped over her chest and she could feel the dig into her shoulders and back while the thing thrust harder than before.

She felt another wash of fluid go into her, and felt it spill out around her buttocks. Her fingers found the magnum's grip, and she pulled it in but waited to raise it. She could feel herself getting close to an orgasm, the monster's thrusting having driven her to it, and she let it press into her for another minute until she came.

With the alien, burning tension gone, all she felt was horror and disgust, which she answered by raising the magnum, placing the barrel beneath the creature's jaw, and firing. The sound was again deafening, and her face was spattered in blood. More had gone out the top of the beast's head, before it fell on top of her.

Her ears were ringing and she had a headache, and so waited a moment before sliding the monster off her and untangling the tentacles from around her legs. The cock had deflated, and slipped out of her, meanwhile she could hear the clicking of a camera.

She looked to see the pervert standing over her, taking pictures. "Amazin'," he said. "We're even, now, I reckin'. I can even give ye some feminine hygiene products for the mess he left...

"Shut. Up," she said, pointing the magnum at him. "And put that camera away."

"Heh, heh. Told ye you'd need a bigger gun."

**To be continued...**


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty.**

Ashley woke up feeling like she would vomit. She hurt all over, and could not see, but could tell she was tied to some hard, slanted surface, and had been stripped of her clothes.

The sound of steel on flint drew her attention off to her left, where she could see someone lighting a gas lamp. Ashley thought it was a man at first, but when the gas lamp took, she could see the curves of hips and slender, tight shoulders.

The woman wore a dark red tank top, green fatigue pants, and a red beret. "Who are you?" Ashley croaked, her throat dry.

"I'm the one that asks the questions," the woman said. "First, who's been helping you?"

Ashley looked around, but the gas lamp had been kept low, and all she could see was her own pale skin and the woman, who had come to stand next to her. Ashley wasn't sure she understood the woman's question, and she tried to think back. She remembered seeing Claire fall through the floor, then the little man, Salazar, had picked up some kind of listening device, like a trumpet with a tube tied to it. Ashley had been too stunned to shoot or do much of anything before the robed things grabbed her. Annette fought, but was knocked hard into the wall.

As her memory became clear, she was nearly overcome by tears, but then remembered what happened to Salazar. For some reason he screamed, and thew the listening device down, then dispatched the guard that had subdued Annette. "Kill her! Make her suffer!" he'd shouted.

-Claire didn't die in the fall,- Ashley thought.

The woman near her coughed. "Who's helping you? Answer me."

"I'm not talking," Ashley said, wondering if she would tell her where Claire was. She was about to ask, when something else popped into her mind like a lighting bolt. "Wait...I know you! I've seen you before!"

The woman in the beret was the one who'd kidnapped her. She'd been dressed different then, and wore a black mask most of the time, but there was no mistaking her now.

"Took you long enough to notice," the woman said. "I didn't think I was that forgettable, but if you don't start talking, I'm going to change that."

"What have you done with Claire!?" Ashley shouted, saliva returning to her mouth. "If she's hurt, you're all screwed, you know that? I'm the president's daughter, moron. You think you can pull this crap and get away with it?"

The woman had looked almost bored, but now she smiled. She took the tip of Ashley's left nipple between her fingers and squeezed, making Ashley scream and writhe on the table. The woman held her, taking more of her nipple between her fingers and squeezing as tight as she could. Ashley's shrieks started to become sobs, and the woman let go.

The pain didn't go way; instead it throbbed, bleeding warmth into her breast. The woman's hand then clamped around Ashley's jaw, squeezing her lips into an exaggerated pout as her head was turned sideways. "We both know you're going to talk before this is over. I've cracked tougher nuts than you, little girl, there's no honor in trying to fight me."

Ashley whimpered, her jaw hurting, and shook her head until she was released. "I don't know anything, just let me go," she said, her face and mouth now sore.

The woman sighed and muttered something Ashley didn't catch, although one word sounded like "charade." She disappeared for a moment and Ashley could her the _clink _of metal objects and faint slap of leather on leather. The woman came into view holding a short leather handle with dozens of long, leather strips at one end. She shook it in front of Ashley's face, letting her see the little metal beats at the end of each strip.

"See that?" the woman said. "We both know how this is going to end if you keep this up, with you bleeding and crying, and telling me everything I want to know. Might as well skip the blood and tears."

Ashley gritted her teeth and tried to stop from shaking. She knew the woman was right, but knew she would have a hard time looking in the mirror later if she caved right away.

The first lash came without warning, across Ashley's stomach. She screamed, knowing it would hurt, but not expecting anything like what she felt. She looked down to see red welts where the lash struck her, but no blood. The second lash came moments later, just above where the first had hit, and again she shrieked.

The woman's hand rubbed her stomach where the sting was beginning to subside. "How long am I going to have to do this?" the woman asked. "I've got all night, you know." Another lash, followed by another in quick succession. "See why I wait between them? The second one didn't hurt as much, did it? I'm a pro, kid, you don't stand a chance. You're not being brave, you're being dumb."

"I-I don't know what you mean," Ashley said, fighting tears. "It's me, Claire, and that Annette woman, you know everything!"

She found herself praying the lie was believed, as she didn't think she could take many more lashes. She screamed and could not longer hold back her sobs when the woman began to whip her thighs. The metal tips reached to the softest flesh on the inside of her legs, where the stinging feeling lingered the longest.

"If it were just you three, you'd have been captured a long time ago," said the woman. "I know there's another person running around, and the sooner you tell me who it is...well, the less I'll have to talk about it with Birkin and what's-her-face."

"There's nobody else," Ashley said, hoping the pain in her voice would hide her lying. "It's just the three of us...leave me alone."

The woman draped the whip over Ashley's right breast and pulled it across her chest, agitating the left one she'd pinched. "How do you think this will feel across your tits?"

"D-don't," Ashley said, squirming.

"The woman in the red dress, who is she? Why is she helping you?"

"I don't kno...aieee!" The whip came down on her right breast hard, then a second strike set the other one in agony. Ashley trashed against her bonds, and was held still by the woman's hand around her throat.

"I can't kill you, but trust me, passing out from being strangled isn't fun. Care to try it?"

"N-ngh..." Ashley settled for shaking her head, and the woman let her go.

"I got orders..." the woman said, setting the whip down. She drew a long knife from a sheath at her side and held it where Ashley could see it. "No missing body parts, no visible wounds...means I can't cut up your face. That leaves me a lot of room to work."

Ashley felt the flat of the blade run down her burning midsection, between her legs. She felt something cold and hard between her legs, over the soft hood of flesh there, and it set her into a panic. "No, no, no," she repeated, squirming as much as she dared. She forced calm into her voice. "Look, look, just...I don't know what to tell you, I don't know that woman, just..."

"Stop blubbering," said the woman, pressing upward on the knife, making Ashley shriek. She hadn't been cut, but anymore pressure and she knew she would. "You've got three seconds, then I cut you a new one, understand?"

Ashley let out a high pitch moan. "S-she's a government agent. She was sent in with Claire...her name's Alice, I think. She's got a bunch of guns...a r-radio...she knows your plan..."

The door suddenly opened, and Ada stepped in so that at first only her long leg was visible beneath the red dress she wore. "Krauser, I didn't know you had company."

Krauser looked at Ashley, a sly grin having come over her face. "Alice, so nice to see you," she said, and plunged the knife into the wooden table Ashley was strapped to, making her scream, as the blade was millimeters from her womanhood.

"An inside joke? You two must be bonding," said Ada. "I've got a little problem. The key card I got from Annette doesn't work. I was hoping you can arrange a visit?"

"Maybe," Krauser said, all humor gone from her. "The cultists have something planned for her, I'm not sure what."

"Hopefully nothing too permanent," Ada said, coming closer and looking at Ashley, who thought her head would spin off her shoulders. "Not that I'm objecting, but why..."

"Saddler wants to know more about this mysterious woman in red who's been helping Redfield. Gotta keep up appearances."

"Has she broken?" Ada asked, trialing a finger up Ashley's instep, tickling her.

"No. I was about to slit her pussy open when she decided she'd lie to me. I'm thinking I kind of like her."

Krauser's fingers gently touched her calf, and she jerked her leg away as far as she could.

"Maybe she's just stupid and doesn't know what's going on," said Ada, smiling. "But in case she isn't, ca I have a word with you in private?"

"She's not going anywhere," Krauser said, her hand going farther up Ashley's leg. "If they'd sent Chris Redfield, I might be worried, but his kid sister...what a joke."

Ashley fancied she could see Ada's brow darken, but it lit back up again as she came closer to Krauser. "Maybe more than a word. Must be lonely for you in this castle..." She was touching Krauser's shoulder, and it was like she'd hit a button. Krauser's attention left Ashley completely, and she rounded on Ada.

"I think I can spare a few minutes," Krauser said. "Guess what they say about is true?"

"Depends, what are they saying?" Ada asked, leading Krauser out the door.

**To be continued...**


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One.**

Many things raced through Ada's mind as she led Krauser to the top of the tower, and Ada forced herself to focus on what she had to do, rather than why she was doing it. Krauser gave all the outward signs of being human to a person not trained to look properly, but Ada could see how her eyeballs flickered more rapidly than normal, how her muscles rippled in places they shouldn't, and a dozen other tiny things.

-Just fuck her and leave,- Ada thought. -Let her have the Graham girl...-

It was a reasonable thought, and it nagged her as they gained the top of the tower and went through a door into the cool night air. -You should have known from the start this is how it would be,- she thought to herself. -All the pieces were set for this to happen, and you were a fool thinking it would be different.-

When she turned to face Krauser, a cruel thought fluttered into her brain, one she rather liked. It went like this: If something horrible happened to the girl, Claire would think her fairy tale dreams of a relationship with Ashley Graham had been dashed by bad luck. If Claire saved the day, she'd eventually have her heart torn out by blue-blooded tramp, making Claire's place in the world quite clear to her.

The thought made Ada welcome the look Krauser was giving her, like she were a piece of meat fit only to be chewed and spit out. Ada walked as close to the edge of the tower as she could without it looking suspicious, and let Krauser take her. The woman's hands on her buttocks were like vices, her breath hot and wet. Ada felt herself grow wet, and had to admit that Krauser possessed a sort of butch-charm about her, if one could see past the demon within.

Ada's dress was pulled down over her shoulders and her breasts groped. She decided to play the role of high school virgin to Krauser's horny, clueless, schoolboy, and did her best to guide the action closer to the edge of the tower. She let out a few moans when her neck was nuzzled, and sharper gasps when her breasts were sucked.

Krauser reached to her pants and Ada heard something wet. When she looked down, a long, pale-peach colored appendage was jutting from Krauser's pants. "Um...," Ada said, only half expecting such a sight.

"The Plaga," Krauser said. "It's how I planned to get Wesker a sample. I let Saddler infect me with it, and the Veronica virus in me keeps me in control. Saddler has no idea."

"Do you still have a..." Ada trailed off, raising an eyebrow.

"Yep. Best of both worlds. I figured you'd be up for it."

Ada bit her lip, thinking. She also wondered what people _had _been saying about her if Krauser thought that. "Let me check it out first," Ada said. Sliding down to her knees. "Can it..."

"Find out," said Krauser, smiling.

Ada licked the tip, finding it fleshy and a bit springy. She took the length of it into her mouth, coating it in spit and stroking the base with her hand. Krauser shuddered, and as Ada worked it, learned it behaved like any other cock. -Too bad you're not going to live much longer,- Ada thought, going over the possibilities of Krauser's anatomy in her mind. She reached in to her pants with wet fingers and found her pussy beneath the Plaga dick. Krauser held onto her head when she began rubbing the soft flesh underneath.

"Ugh...yes...," Krauser said, bending her knees. "God, that's good..."

Ada had been planning to make her move as soon as Krauser was in a rhythm, but now she was intrigued. She sucked slowly on the cock, and worked her fingers faster. It had apparently been a long time for Krauser, as her hands became tight on Ada's head, and she swore while struggling to stand. Ada looked up, seeing her eyes had rolled to the back of her head.

Krauser's body twitched, and Ada let the cock slip from her mouth. She pumped it, aiming it at her chest and watching a stream of white fluid shoot onto her chest, between her breasts. It was thick like come, but white as paint, not the milky, translucent, natural color. -Glad that wasn't inside me,- Ada thought, standing up and keeping hold of Krauser's cock.

"That was amazing," Ada said, moving around behind Krauser, her hand reaching around to keep a grip on her appendage. "Damn, Krauser, you and I need to hook up after this. One more time, then my turn. Ready?"

"Yeah," Krauser whispered.

"Here, I've got a little something with me we can stick under that big cock of yours."

While Ada had packed a vibrator, just in case, it was her gun she reached for. She pressed it into the base of Krauser's spine and fired, soaking her front in blood while shoving the screaming Krauser forward and over the edge of the tower. Before hearing her hit the ground, Ada took a frag grenade from her belt and pulled the pin. She dropped it after Krauser, and while she didn't hear her _splat_ on the ground below, she did hear the grenade detonate.

She looked over the edge, but saw it was too dark to tell where Krauser had landed. Hoping if Krauser wasn't dead, she was at least too crippled to seek revenge, Ada returned to the stairwell and descended, seeking the torture chamber.

Ashley had stopped crying, and while she still felt the aches from where she'd been whipped, all she wanted now was to not be as confused as she was. When the door opened, her head shot up, and she saw Ada come in. The top of her dress hung down by her waist, which was covered in blood, while her cream-colored skin looked someone had squirted her with wall paint.

"What do you want?" Ashley asked.

"A lot of things," Ada said, standing at Ashley's feet. She pulled the knife from the table and threw it to the floor. "And you're welcome by the way."

"Welcome? What the heck is going on!?"

Ada smiled and scooped some of the white fluid from her chest before wiping it on the table. "I let a hybrid-mutant hermaphrodite come on my tits so I could save your sorry ass," Ada said. "I think you owe me big."

"I'm still tied up, in case you hadn't noticed," Ashley said, thinking she shouldn't be rude just now, but was unable to help it. "Were you working with that...woman? Did you help kidnap me to begin with?"

"Yes, and no," Ada said, leaning forward on the table, between Ashley's legs. "Now, no more questions, otherwise I might just leave you here. Or worse."

She felt Ada's tongue between her legs. The parasite's unnatural urges had been building in her since she'd been left alone, and she felt herself respond to the warm, wet tongue, which moved in a familiar way. -Guess I know where I Claire learned to kiss girls...- Ashley thought, feeling the tongue probe her.

Ada was diligent, but was enjoying herself, too, stopping to nuzzle and bite softly at Ashley's inner thighs and around her outer lips. Ada's mouth explored the entire area between her legs, not just the pink strip of flesh in the middle, and she felt her hips grind in anticipation.

She let herself breath, let her mouth hang open as the orgasm built. She could tell it was going to be something like she'd never experienced, but didn't want to make a sound for Ada, and so wanted to rest her jaw. When it came, she clenched her teeth so hard she though one would crack, but like the whipping she'd gotten earlier, there was no holding back the sounds her throat made. She screamed, moaned, and whimpered, all while writhing on the table beneath Ada's tongue. She felt warm fluid touch her legs and knew she was the source.

Ashley lost track of time, but the sea of intensity she'd been jostled around on finally calmed, leaving her panting and sweating.

"See, that's how it's done," Ada said. "You don't have to tell Claire you learned anything from me, she'll know."

"What's your problem?" Ashley said, still out of breath.

"I don't have one," Ada said. "I'm in my element right now, right where I'm supposed to be. You, little girl, are the one with the problem."

Ada bent and picked up the knife she'd discarded. She moved to be next to Ashley's head and touched the cool, flat of the blade to Ashley's sweat-soaked neck. Ashley's eyes went wide, but Ada made a _shushing _sound. "It's cold. Feels good?"

Ashley nodded, aware of the distance between the knife's edge and her neck arteries. "I bet you're thinking 'This bitch is crazy, and thinks if she kills me, she'll get Claire back,' right?"

Ashley kept still, not daring to move.

"I'm a bad, bad, woman, dear, but I'm no jealous butcher. You looked hot and I thought the metal would feel nice on your skin. Here," she cut the rope around Ashley's right wrist. And stabbed the blade into the table where her arm had been. "Free to go. I'd let you come with me, but like I said, I'm a bad, bad woman. Tell Claire I said hi."

Ada left, her tattered, dirty, yet still alarmingly red dress, swishing behind her.

**To be continued...**


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two.**

The air was cool and damp where she wandered. Claire could smell water, and the stone walls and floor had a silty feel to them which she could almost taste on the roof of her mouth. It took her mind off the experience she'd just had, the memory at which brought vomit to the back of her throat. -Gotta get this thing out of me,- she thought. -Have to get it out of Ashley, they infected her, first.-

Despite her predicament, she felt strangely upbeat. The pervert had offered her not only more bullets for the magnum, which hung off her hip, but had given her a Striker model shotgun, complete with a drum magazine and pistol grip. The barrel was shorter, meaning the range wasn't as good, but in the hallways of what she figured was a sewer, it would work wonders.

She was less enamored with the clothes he'd given her to replace the jeans destroyed by the monster. She now wore a pair of denim cut-off shorts that showed enough leg to get her arrested in some places. The black boots he'd given her that ran up almost to her knee somehow made her look even less modest, but they were water-proof and her feet had been pruning from being soaked the past several hours.

Claire hadn't bothered to ask what the pervert was doing with such articles, or how he seemed to know she'd need them, and now was only grateful that sewage didn't seem to be the type of water this part of the castle handled.

Her radio crackled to life suddenly, startling her. She took it from her new utility belt, also courtesy of the pervert, and brought it to her ear before the voice on the other end came through. When it did, she felt like she'd stepped in dog feces.

"Ms. Redfield, still alive I see," said Salazar. His oily voice tight and angry.

"Where's Ashley?" Claire asked, her voice flat, wanting to upset Salazar.

"We're keeping her safe, don't worry," he said. "I was just calling to inform you that any mercy we had been considering is now impossible. You should not have killed my bodyguard, Ms. Redfield. Had you begged for your life, things may have been different."

She laughed, hoping it sounded natural. "That's big talk, little man," she said. "I hope your other monster is tougher than the one you sent, for your sake. Here's my offer: Let me have the girl and the scientist, and I'll leave."

He cackled loud enough for her to jerk the radio back. "I don't know what form luck took to get you out of that pit, but I assure you it won't happen twice. Perhaps I'll pay Ashley a little visit. You can listen in over your radio."

"You son of a bitch, so help me..." she stopped, hearing him burst into a fit of laughter. She almost threw the radio, but thought better of it. She hooked it to her belt and was thankful to hear his laughter fall away. Taking a deep breath, she moved ahead faster, seeking stairs and passages that led up.

Her ears were burning, and she almost didn't hear what sounded at first like creaking tree branches. She'd come to a large room with a sediment pit bisecting the floor halfway across, in the middle of which was a hole in the ceiling. There were half a dozen cells in the room, the bars on each coated in rust. She went to the cells and saw it had been years since they'd held prisoners, judging by the bones. She heard the creaking sound again.

-Sounds like...crickets,- she thought, remembering warm, windy summer nights where she'd debated Chris on whether or not it was trees creaking or bugs rubbing their legs together.

There was a long creak, followed by a rattling noise, then a heavy _thump_ that made the quarter inch or so of water on the ground beneath the hole in the ceiling splash and ripple. She saw something there, like the shimmer in the air over a hot stove, only coming at her.

She fired with the Striker, the pellets from the buckshot hitting something less than two yards away. Something came flying off, like wet paint chips, as a screeching noise filled her ears. The shape suddenly flickered and revealed itself.

It was a giant bug after all.

The size of a small man, stooped, it was pawing at the wound she'd given it on its head and back. It fixed her with three, green eyes, and opened its multi-jawed mouth to let out another creaking screech. She fired again into its face, obliterating it. She stepped back as it thrashed, each of its many limbs looking like they would cause damage if a blow was struck. She watched it until it stopped moving, seeing that it looked much indeed like a giant cricket, only with a few liberties taken, namely the mouth which looked to be for tearing flesh, not plant life.

There was another splash and following it, the sound of a metal door being forced open somewhere out of sight. Claire could see she was being charged again by something invisible, and fired, blowing chunks off the second insect and sending into its death throes.

Rather than run, she stayed put, looking at the water on the ground for signs of disturbance. Two more came, apparently not intelligent enough to know she could see and kill them, which she did. The third came behind them, and she almost didn't see it, as it crawled along the ceiling, raining bits of plaster and stone. She fired into the green lights of its eyes, which shone despite the rest of the body being somehow bending the light around itself. Pieces of ceiling and bug fell with the shots, followed by the creature as a whole.

When she couldn't hear them, she ran, making her way into another series of passages before the creaking sounds came to her ears again. Fearing she would be surrounded, she sought a place where her back would be covered, but instead found a flight of narrow stairs, which she ran up and through a door, leading out into one of the castle's main passages.

She took a halberd being held by a suit of armor and did her best to bar the door with it. No sooner than she completed this, did Salazar's voice come over her crackling radio. Her heart seemed to stop in anticipation of perhaps breaking, but she smiled upon hearing the rage in his voice.

"You tricky little witch!" he screeched. "I don't know how you got her and I don't care, but rest assured, when I find you..." he seemed to regain some control after a deep breath. "Once the Plaga makes you our slave, Ms. Redfield, you'll enter a hell you can scarcely imagine. I'll see that you experience every kind of pain imaginable. I'll have you sprout new and interesting sensory organs so you can feel forms of suffering unknown to man. I'll..."

"Do you ever stop talking?" she asked, hoping her confusion and joy was adequately masked. "The batteries on my radio aren't cheap, you know."

"Bitch, you little bitch," Salazar sputtered. "When I find you two, I'm going to make sure that girl goes back to her father a broken wreck! Saddler be damned! And you're going to watch the whole thing before the real fun begins with you!"

She yawned into the radio, her tiredness genuine. So, Ashley had escaped. -Good girl,- Claire thought, feeling bad for immediately wondering who had helped her. The pervert, possibly, although if he were that good perhaps she should hire him to get them all out of there, cure for the parasite in hand. -No, it was probably Ada who helped her...but why?-

"Sounds like a lame date," she said to Salazar. "I think we'll pass."

He began cursing again, and she turned the radio off. There was little sense in having it on, she realized, until the jamming device was taken care of. -So, Ashley escaped and that little psycho thinks we're together. I can work with this, I just need to find her...and Annette."

With little idea as to where she was, she headed towards what she thought might be the throne room, hoping she would catch Salazar out in the open, or find Ashley and Ada.

**To be continued...**


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three.**

Ashley walked on tip-toes through the castle, her feet quickly becoming numb on the cold, stone floors. She'd been unable to find her clothes, and all she had was the knife Ada had left her. Once she was far from the torture chamber, she began looking for place to hide, knowing she stood little chance winning in a fight against any cultists she might run across. The one thing that made her feel good was how light and quiet she felt moving through the still hallways.

The cultists, she learned, wore long, swishing robes and made no effort to be silent as they stomped through the castle, evidently searching for her. She used dark alcoves, suites of armor, furniture, and anything else she could see to conceal herself behind. Before she left a hiding spot, she would make sure another was close by before venturing out, a practice that saved her half a dozen times.

The farther along she went, the less she saw of cultists, and the better she felt. -I just need to find Claire,- she thought. -She'll know what to do.-

Something told her it was best to stay put, but for some reason she couldn't bring herself to do so. If she stayed in one spot for more than a few minutes, her heart would begin hammering and she would feel the cold creep into her skin, so she kept moving.

When she heard what sounded like furnace, she moved quicker, and blinked hard upon seeing a hallway that was on fire. The flames were coming from the mouths of two black stone dragons that faced each other on either side of a long hallway. The wall of flames barred her way, but she was able to slip into an alcove just before it, where a painting had been hung. It was warm there, so she stayed and surveyed the rest of the strange room.

It was essentially a dark pit, with the part she'd come down being more of a balcony overlooking the cells bellow. Ashley left the alcove for a closer look, and could see stairs on the other side of a central support pillar. Backtracking, she saw there was a locked door that would take her down into the dungeon.

She thought Claire might have been captured, but didn't call out her name for fear of attracting attention. Upon returning to the alcove for warmth, she saw the painting hung there depicted a row of cells, and what she'd taken for part of the painting in the middle was actually a metal key that had been hung there. Taking it, she unlocked the door that led down to the room with the cells.

It was cold, and she doubted she'd be there long, but something caught her eye. It was a man inside one of the cells. He was naked except for the chains that held him to the wall and the metal helmet he wore that reminded her of a Roman gladiator. She opened her mouth to speak, but something told her to keep quiet. Looking at him closer, squinting for the dim light, she gasped. The visor on his helmet was up, and she saw that his eyes had been gouged out, or sewn shut. She looked him over more, feeling herself tense upon seeing his cock, which hung like a wrench between his legs.

Baffled, her attention was drawn to a lever set into the wall to the man's right. The handle was shaped like a dragon of similar design to the one's breathing fire above, and she realized it must turn the flames off. Or so she hoped.

Licking her lips, she raised the key to the lock on the cell and stuck it in. The sound of the tumblers was loud, and the man in the cell emitted an enraged grunt, his mouth having been sewn shut as well, it seemed.

She backed away the man stepped forward and shrugged off his chains. He extended his arms to his sides, and she saw he wore a pair of heavy gauntlets that served to hold three, yard-long blades apiece.

Ashley turned to run as the man let out another muffled roar and charged. She heard the door come off its hinges, and she moved sharply to the side, hearing it crash into the stone pillar. She wanted to bolt back up the stairs, but at the last second dipped behind the pillar. The man was attacking the other side with the blades, and after a few blows, stopped. She was about to run once more when he came around, but saw he was walking towards the wall. She could see his back now. A brown, barnacle-like thing was set there, and tendrils ran up his shoulders and down his arms, apparently controlling the retraction of the blades on his gauntlets.

-It's blind,- she thought. -I can slip right past him.-

She moved towards the cell, but saw a flaw in her plan. Pulling the lever would make a noise, and he would charge. There would be little room to duck away, and odds were good he'd slice her in half, so she froze. She still held the knife, and thought about stabbing the barnacle on his back, but then he turned. He'd developed an erection since freeing himself. At first she forced back an "Ew," but then felt as though she wanted nothing more than to crawl out of her skin.

She felt herself become violently aroused, so much that her hand went between her legs. -Have to leave...wait for Claire,- she thought, but found herself moving towards the monster instead, her eyes on his erection.

-Kill it,- she thought. -Kill it, and the feeling will go away.-

This couldn't be true, she knew, but unless something was done soon, her desire to let it ravage her would take over. Already she was thinking about how that could work, how she could pick her way up to it and perhaps make it feel good so it wouldn't kill her right away.

She put her wet fingers to her mouth and whistled. The monster adjusted and ran at her, faster than she'd expected, and felt the air move on her skin from the blade passing by as she stepped to the side. The gladiator kept running, stopping when he came to the wall next to the cell, and slashed madly at it. She took three bounding steps, knife held high, and brought it down into the barnacle as hard as she could. The knife pierced the hard, outer shell and she stepped back as sticky, brown fluid came running out like pus from a popped boil.

The monster thrashed, trying to reach its thickly muscled back, and turned toward her before it fell. Keeping away from it, she ran to its cell and pulled the lever, hearing the flames above die down. Now that the beast was dead, she felt no desire for it, but still she burned, and ached, and sunk to her knees, rubbing herself and trying to orgasm as quickly as possible.

She didn't know how long she was at it, but her knees were sore and cold when she heard a voice from above. "Ashley!" It was Claire, and she was only embarrassed for a moment. She ran up the stairs, meeting Claire at the door, and leapt into her.

"Ashley, what the..."

Claire's words stopped as Ashley pressed her mouth to Claire's, letting her know what had to happen. "Take me, now," Ashley said, as Claire lowered her to the floor.

Claire hesitated long enough to look at Ashley's face. She understood, Ashley could see, and wetted her fingers before slipping them in. Having done most of the work already, Ashley was soon coming, trying her best to keep quiet. When she was done, she felt like another person, now that the single-minded desire had left her. "Oh, God, Claire," she said, sitting up and throwing her arms around the other woman.

"Shh, it's alright," Claire said. "Did you kill that thing down there?"

"Yes," Ashley said, feeling like she might sob.

"Good girl," said Claire. "We're gonna get through this, okay? Think about how far we've come."

Ashley let Claire's scent fill her nostrils and thought of better times and places. She didn't know how many monsters an average girl was expected to kill before a brain-parasite took over her body, so Claire's words were little comfort.

**To be continued...**


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty-Four.**

Beyond the flaming hallway, the castle became like a maze, and while the cultist attacks were sporadic and their numbers small, the ambushes were clever. Ashley kept close to Claire, and was light on her feet, keeping herself away from the area between Claire and their enemies. Only once did a member of the cult get close to her. Claire was firing into a group of them carrying wooden shield, and one who'd hung back in one of the many alcoves had grabbed Ashley around the waist and thrown her over his shoulder.

She had buried the blade she carried into his buttock, causing him to fall, and Claire had dispatched him with her pistol. After a few ambushes, the amount of cult members thinned to nothing, leaving the only thing to bar their path a series of odd puzzle locks.

One room Ashley solved fairly quickly. There had been a series of paintings on the wall depicting hanged men in groups of two or three. A riddle had been inscribed in a dais, and the paintings seemed able to rotate in a certain sequences. Ashley, after some trial and error, had the right number of hanged men on the wall, making the door unlock.

When they had a free moment, Claire asked Ashley how she'd escaped.

"And she didn't say anything about where Annette might be?" Claire asked.

Ashley shook her head, and Claire could tell there was something she was leaving out. "Did that Krauser person do something to you?"

"Just a few whip marks, some threats. It was...horrible."

Claire nodded, but still saw that it was guilt, not shame or fear on the girl's face. "Well, you said Ada took care of Krauser, so I guess she made us both even," said Claire.

Ashley had been too quick to nod, too quick to talk about something else. Claire wanted to ask what Ada had said or done to her, but settled for touching Ashley's shoulder. Ada was helping her, that was all that mattered. "And she said she needed Annette's key card?"

"Yeah," said Ashley. "I forgot to tell you, she took it back at the village when she showed up the second time. I...I didn't want to say anything around Annette."

Claire let out a deep breath as they continued on. She could guess what Ada had come for, the parasite. There could be no other reason. -And of all the people she could be working for, none of the are good,- Claire thought.

The castle's size was beginning to become impressed upon them, and Claire felt her body begin to lag. Between the beatings and near constant fighting, she felt eager for a three-day nap. When they came to a giant hallway lined with white granite, suites of armor, and long, red tapestries, Claire spied a small wooden table at the end, near a great wooden door. "Let's take a rest," she said, taking the chair closest to the door. She watched Ashley's nude, lithe form settle into the other chair, and lean back.

"So, uh...speaking of Ada," said Ashley.

-Oh, no,- Claire thought. "It's a long story," she said.

"We've got time," said Ashley, as Claire picked her head up from the table. Through the large windows next to them, Claire could see the clouds were letting in some moonlight, which seemed to make Ashley's skin shine.

"Do you really want to talk about this now?" Claire asked, hoping Ashley would be timid and drop the subject.

"Do you think we'll be able to talk about it later?"

The words hit her like a fistful of ice cubes, and she nearly shook her head. "I met her in Raccoon City. The police chief's office, to be exact."

"Raccoon City...you know, until this happened, I didn't totally believe everything you told me about it. Sorry."

Claire waved her hand. "Some days I don't believe it happened, either. Anyway, I found a gun, but it ran out of bullets. I hadn't seen another survivor in days...I lost track of time, I think. It got to the point where I thought I only really needed one round, but then I met Ada. She had ammo. She had a plan."

"On how to escape?"

Claire nodded. "Yes, but it was more than that. She seemed like...like she belonged there. I thought she was crazy at first. I still think she's crazy, but, in a time and place like that, I think you're supposed to be. You know what I mean?"

Ashley nodded, and Claire knew she didn't know. "She...she wanted sex from me in exchange for letting me tag along, so we did it there in the chief's office."

Claire didn't want to look at Ashley as she said this, but forced herself to study the girl's face, which she might never see again beyond a television screen. There was shock, a hint of revulsion, all on a canvass of intrigue.

"And she let you follow her?"

"Sort of...I think I went in front a few times, but yeah, she helped me get out. We, um...did it a few more times, too."

"You stayed with her after escaping?"

"No. Yes...I mean, we had sex a few more times in Raccoon City. Part of it was her payment, but to be honest with you...I wasn't sure I was going to make it, and I sort of...liked it." Her words seemed to get heavier, falling from her mouth only after a great effort to push them out. Ashley held the look of shocked interest, nodding at intervals.

Ashley licked her lips and made a sweeping gesture with her hands, distancing herself from something. "It was a weird situation," she said. "People do...stuff. The only reason people say it's weird is because no one ever talks about it."

-How could you possibly know that?- Claire felt like saying, but caught herself. -Maybe she does know. She's here, isn't she?-

"Thanks, sweetie, but I don't think it was that simple." She took in a breath, to both steel herself and give her time to organize her thoughts. She felt this would be her one chance to articulate it to anyone. "There were practical reasons for doing what I did, but, and you have to know this, that's why I'm saying it...I became attracted to her. She was part of this world I'd fallen into, one I always knew about but never really belonged. I told you about my brother, right?"

Ashley nodded, smiling. "I'd like to meet him."

"My brother is one of those guys they make cheesy action movies about, but have to tone down because no one would believe what he really does. It was pretty dumb of me to go to Raccoon looking for him, like he needed _my _protection. Anyway, he was a typical big brother when we were growing up. He still is. Didn't want me to get hurt, blah, blah, blah."

"But didn't he teach you some stuff?"

"He did," Claire said. "A lot, actually. I had to unlearn some bad habits in my official training, but what he taught me kept alive through Raccoon and Rockfort Island."

"Rockfort Island?"

Claire swore inwardly and tried not to let it show on her face. That entire scene had been sheer madness, but she supposed she had to tell it. She held up a finger to let Ashley know she was getting there. "Ada was my connection to Chris' world. She taught me some things, too, but she also had me participate. My brother was still missing, see, and Ada was a spy, so we became partners. And lovers."

"Did you..."

"I...I think so. I've learned love sometimes takes weird forms. Not always healthy ones, either. So I stayed by Ada's side until we came across some info on my brother I had to act on. Ada had other plans, and I guess we parted on good terms, but I wound up getting captured by Umbrella, and sent to an island not far from the arctic circle. It was a place Umbrella sent people it didn't like, and where it bred B. , along with training U.B.C.S."

Ashley looked lost, and Claire waived a hand. "It was a bad place. Anyway, I'd been roughed up by the guards and was looking forward to spending the rest of my short life in a rape dungeon when Ada showed up."

"She came to rescue you. Must be she had feelings, too."

Claire shrugged. "The more I know about her, the less I know. She came to spy on Umbrella; I think saving me was a happy coincidence that got her out of showing whether or not she cared for me. So, we went about escaping the place and met a young man named Steve."

"Ah," Ashley said, a knowing smile on her lips.

"I didn't have a thing for the kid," Claire said. "I mean, maybe I could have, in another time and place. He was kind of a weenie at first, but the more I saw him in action...I don't know. Long story short, we ended up in Antarctica at another Umbrella base where Steve got killed. Ada thought I had a thing for him, and before we left she made it clear we weren't made for each other. I guess I wasn't psycho enough for her, or something."

"She's...special, that's for sure," said Ashley, and Claire wondered if she was also holding back on a few details. "I think she regrets dumping you."

Claire snorted. "Ada? Regret? She...you know, it hurt. It really did, and what made it so much worse is I didn't think it would hurt."

Ashley's face deemed to darken. "Do you think it will hurt when we have to go our separate ways?" she asked.

"I've been trying not to think about it," Claire said.

"Well, you don't have much time left."

She sounded petulant, a tone Claire wasn't used to hearing from her. "Listen," Claire said. "If we lose here, I'm one-hundred percent certain we won't see each other again. If we escape, who knows?"

Ashley looked up at her, her glare becoming a smile. "I'm an adult, I do what I want, I suppose," she said.

The door where they'd come from opened, and Claire jumped to her feet, leveling the shotgun at the person who entered. It was Ada. She carried a white bundle beneath her arm. "My, my, look at you," Ada said. "You've got nice legs Claire, you should show them off more often."

"We need to talk," Claire said.

"Maybe. Depends on what you want to talk about." She threw the white bundle to Ashley, who caught it. It was a set of clothes, and when it unrolled, a handgun came out. Ashley left the gun on the floor while she scurried into the outfit; Tight white jeans, shoes, and small shirt that displayed the entire midriff and had a plunging neckline. "You can thank our pervert friend for that," Ada said.

"How did you pay for it?" Claire asked.

"He took pictures. You can ask to see them next time you meet" Ada said. "He would have given me more, said I was a natural. Better than the other local talent by far."

"I appreciate the help, but we do really need to talk," said Claire.

"About what? You still being angry you got dumped, or something else?"

Claire felt her fists clench. "What are you doing here? I can guess you want a sample of the parasite, but who sent you to get it?"

"And what will you do if you don't like the answer?" Ada asked. "You're a babysitter, here, not a counter-spy. Now, I know where to find the scientist who you need to slow the growth of those parasites, and to get them removed. I've also got intel on this place that will get us out of it faster. Now, do you want my help or not?"

"Fine," Claire said. "Lead on. But tell me this, earlier you made it sound like you had your own thing to do, and couldn't be helping me. What's changed?"

Ada smiled and stepped closer to Claire, letting her feel the heat from her skin and smell of the air around her, making Claire wonder what else Ada got for what she did in front of the pervert. "In case you forgot, Claire, you and the girl here periodically become insatiable sluts. I'd like to be around when it happens, that's all. It's my kind of fun, you know that."

Claire looked to Ashley and felt the urge to move between her and Ada. She was about to retort when Ashley broke in. "Sounds great," Ashley said, a wide smile beneath narrowed eyes. "We like fun, don't we, Claire?"

It was Claire's turn to smile, looking sideways at Ada. "Yes, we do. Let's get moving, then."

**To be continued...**


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty-Five.**

Their journey took them through a hallway where one side was exposed to the outdoors. Ada instructed them to be quiet. "They've had time to get organized," she said. "We might need the element of surprise on our side."

Claire let her lead, knowing Ada to have good instincts. A door took them back towards the interior, down a long, narrow hall that led to a dining room where a table had been set with silver plates and cups that held a fine layer of dust. Ada held up a hand, signaling them to stop and be quiet. Claire didn't need the signal, as she heard the same thing Ada had.

Something was making low, rapid grunting noises from a room behind the head of the dinner table. Ada picked up her step a bit moving towards the room, which had an entryway but no door. When she reached it, she stood off to the side, a tiny smirk on her face. When Claire looked, she gritted her teeth.

The middle of the small room was dominated by a cage. Annette had been set on a reclined bench, her arms tied up to either side of the bars. She was nude, and in front of her was one of the cultists, also nude. His gray-white skin, she could see, was covered in blue tattoos depicting occult symbols, none of which she recognized save for Los Illuminados's symbol. He was masturbating over her, and from the look of it, had not been the first to do so.

Annette, for her part, was looking away, toward the floor. Claire thought she looked bored, but when the zealot began to ejaculate into her chest and stomach, she turned her head with vague interest, then looked up at him. "You know, if none of you are going to fuck me, then at least untie one of my hands," she said.

The cultist spit on her, and slapped her across the face, leaving traces of his seed on her cheek. Claire shot him in the head, spraying blood over the floor. "Well, it's about time," Annette "Get me the hell out of here!"

The walls of the room were made of stone with wooden wainscoting around the base. Above it were various paintings, some depicting Osmund Saddler and others showing what had to be relatives of Ramon Salazar. Claire went to the other end of the cage where the door was, and Ashley followed behind, cutting Annette's with her knife.

Once she was free, they were footsteps from outside, and in came a hooded zealot swinging a flail. Ada shot him and his head fell backward, ripped open at the neck by something gray and segmented. The man's head now hung off him like his hood had, and what replaced it was something like a tube, only with insect legs held together by webbing. It moved about blindly at first but gained its footing and launched an ill-aimed spew of fluid in Ada's direction. It hit one of the wall paintings and dissolved the canvas, leaving the wood frame to smoke.

Ada kept shooting, hitting the base of the parasite and severing it from the body it piloted. Claire stepped around the cage with her new shotgun, and watched the severed bug's legs find purchase and begin to scurry. She fired, bursting the largely hollow creature open like a bag.

There were now what sounded like dozens of men outside, all carrying heavy weapons.

"Get ready for some serious shooting,," said Ada, looking through the door at an angle so she could see outside.

A wooden shield, held together by spiked iron bands, filled the door. Claire could see multiple hoods behind it, and knew if it got through, the advantage of the choke point would be ruined for them.

She shifted the shotgun to one hand, and drew the magnum with the other. Knowing the magnum was strictly a two-handed weapon, she held it as best she could with one, and prayed. The gun went off with an ear-splitting report, and she dropped it. The bullet went true, and obliterated the top half of the wooden shield along with the head behind it.

Ada opened fire into the doorway with her automatic pistol, moving forward and letting off short bursts. The robed men were cut down in short order, and Ada used a pistol to finish off the ones she had either crippled or forced the parasite to abandon.

Cradling her throbbing wrist, Claire looked sideways to Ashley, who had pressed herself to the corner and was holding tight to her gun. She was wide-eyed, but her face was alert, not trying to block the horror she'd witnessed. Proud, Claire gave her a wink.

"Was that all of them?" Annette said, having crouched low near where she'd been tied up.

"For now," said Ada. "Were you hoping for more?"

"Shut up," Annette said.

"Where are your clothes?" asked Claire.

"Forget them," Annette said. "We need to get to the suppressant medication now, or it'll be too late. I kept a supply in my quarters not far off."

Annette led them back out into the hall, and through one of the doors at the other end of the dining room.

"Careful," Ada said, moving next to Annette. "That was a breach and clear squad, and I'm sure there's going to be more of them."

Claire's sense of security, which came from having Ada with her, acquired a twinge of jealously as they went. Claire didn't see a man with a crossbow until Ada shot him, and while she was about to shoot his partner who'd foolishly exposed himself, Ada fired on him too, killing him before he could aim the weapon, making the bolt clatter off the ceiling.

They only met one squad, and it was small, consisting of three men who wore ornate metal helmets that _pinged_ when pistol rounds hit them. Their knees and hips bore no such armor, and they were cut down by Ada's machine gun and finished off by Claire who put rounds in their chests, where the parasites dwelled. Seeing the beings wiggle as they died inside their hosts made Claire wonder how large hers had become, and if she would soon be able to feel it inside her.

Their journey to Annette's room took them outside the castle over a walkway overlooking a hedge maze. Claire thought it looked nice, but also saw the tops of cages on the far side and wondered what roamed the green halls bellow them. A large set of double doors brought them inside to what was one of the most ornate bedrooms Claire had ever seen. Silver and gold cups and jars were laid out atop ancient looking wooden furniture. Long purple curtains flapped over an open window on the far end of the room, and in the center was a four post bed that looked to Claire like heaven itself.

Seeing it, she wanted nothing more than to take a long nap, but thinking of the bed led to other thoughts, one's she didn't feel like having right then.

Annette went to a dresser by the bed and took a set of fresh clothes, a white shirt, and black skirt, then opened a pill bottle. She swallowed one of the pills and threw the bottle to Claire. "Take one," she said, and went to tiny bathroom near the door where she started cleaning herself.

Claire took of one of the large yellow pills, and Ashley did the same. They stood quietly, looking at each other, until Annette returned from the bathroom, dressed, and having found a pair of black shoes.

"Annette," Claire said, feeling herself nearly dripping between the legs. "What's happening to me?"

"It's...stronger than before," Ashley said, rubbing her arms. "The pill made it worse!"

Annette shook her head and bent forward, rubbing her stomach. "No, it's doing what it's supposed to, supressing the parasite's growth...You see, naturally, the parasite makes its host want to contact other potential hosts, through sex. Los Illuminados...I, have been making changes to its DNA, so it doesn't spread like that anymore, but the natural mechanism is still there...like a vestigial instinct. The parasite thinks it's dying, so it's doubling up on its efforts to reproduce."

"So it's not contagious," said Ada.

"No. Like I said, it's been altered."

Ada was rubbing her hands together, looking at Claire and Ashley. "So it's time, then?"

Claire felt herself starting to panic, despite this having been a fantasy of hers for some time. "Ada..."

"You want my help, don't you? There should be something in it for me."

"Claire, just..." Ashley came forward quickly and took Claire by the shoulders, pushing her towards the bed. She was hesitant, yet forceful, and helped her move her various weapons to the floor before falling with her onto the bed.

The bed was as comfortable as it looked. The mattress took her in like a cloud, while Ashley nuzzled her neck and slid her hands under her shirt. She felt Ada pull off her boots and suddenly there was no fighting the urge that had crept over her. She gripped Ashley's buttocks through her jeans and pulled the girl up, rolling her onto the bed with her.

Their movements were clumsy at first, their eagerness leaving no room for the normal give and take, the subtle unbalance of power that let two lovers intertwine. It turned out Ashley was the one being spurred harder, and so she took the lead once most of Claire's clothes were off, kissing, nuzzling, and sucking at her exposed flesh. Claire wallowed in it, letting the sensation both build up and cool the urge she felt.

When Ashley pulled back to tug off Claire's shorts, Ada sprung. Claire lay with her arms slack, letting Ada kiss her, driving her tongue deep while her arms snaked around her head and torso. Her shorts were gone, along with her underwear, and when Ashley's wet tongue found her center, she brought her hands up to clasp Ada and returned the kiss with force.

Ada slid out of her dress with the practiced grace of someone taking off their hat and was straddling Claire, who felt her moisture through her panties as they pressed against her chest. Feeling Ashley's tongue inside her, Claire's mouth began to water while Ada's fingers played through her hair.

With an eager, resigned moan she slid Ada closer to her face and tugged aside her underwear, slipping her tongue into the pink folds of flesh. Ada's scent hit her like a bucket of water, making her feel warm and like she was somewhere else.

Ada supported herself with the help of Claire's hands, but no sooner had she settled into a rhythm with Claire's tongue did she move off and crawl to where Ashley had been licking diligently. Claire picked her head up and watched the two regard each other a moment before their tongues met. Ada seemed to be tasting Ashley, licking around her face where Claire's fluids glistened in the moonlight from outside. Claire's hands clenched and her body shook, anticipating what they might do.

When they looked at her, Ashley's face sought approval while Ada's was pleased with itself. Ada, still smiling, took Ashley lightly by the chin and turned her head aside and down so she was on her back, her feel perpendicular to the bed. She removed her panties, threw them on Claire, and positioned herself over Ashley, putting her head between the girl's legs.

Claire sat up, now aching for contact as she watched her lovers together. She couldn't see Ada's face for Ashley's thigh, but could see the girl's eyes glaze as she gripped the other woman's buttocks and sent her tongue into her.

She felt almost dizzy, not knowing where to look. Each line was familiar to her, each had given her pleasure like nothing else had, and seeing them together was something her mind found hard to accept. She sat up completely and shifted to her knees, wetting her fingers in her mouth before sticking them between her legs. It wasn't as good as either of their hands or mouths, but kept her from crawling out of her own skin.

From the corner of her eye she saw Annette, sitting on the floor. Her skirt was hiked up and she was running herself as though she were trying to get grout from a bathtub. Claire looked back when she heard Ashley cry out. She watched her come, saw her hands grip Ada's buttocks and her head pull back for air. Ada didn't let up and became more aggressive, leaving Ashley to writhe beneath her.

When it was over for her, Ada rolled off her to face Claire while lying on her side. They let Ashley catch her breath, and to Claire's surprise, Ashley poured herself over Ada, cupping one of the woman's breasts. Ada whispered something to her, then they both looked to Claire with mischievous expressions.

They both crawled forward, forcing Claire back to the position she'd been in. She felt their weights on top of her, Ashley's being slightly heavier, but softer. Ada's lips met hers first, but ceded to Ashley's when they nudged. For a brief moment, the three mouths touched and Claire's senses were overwhelmed by the presence of her two women, who's fingers had also found their way between her legs.

"Here, I'll show you how to really make Claire come," Ada said, and slid her body down, positioning herself so she was licking Claire. Ashley slid down, too and watched intently as Ada worked, using her fingers and tongue to probe, tease, and thrust.

Ada hadn't been making idle talk. She knew what Claire liked and how she liked it and it wasn't long before Claire felt the dam break and the flood waters rip everything apart, sending them every which way. She signaled she was coming with a sharp moan, and felt Ashley move. Her eyes were scrunched tight, but she could feel the girl looking at her, seeing how she contorted under Ada's affection.

When her eyes opened, she saw Ashley. Her expression seemed blank at first, but there was amusement there, hidden and keeping the company of jealously perhaps. "You should do her," Claire heard herself say.

"She likes to watch us," Ada said. "Let's give her a show."

Ada splayed herself out, letting Ashley get between her legs and lick her again. Ada let herself flop back, hanging off the bed slightly, as she toyed with her breasts. Claire watched, entranced, until Ada came, clearly harder than she'd anticipated. Claire had to smile, watching her fight back the urge to cry out as Ashley moved her head, twisting her tongue.

When it was over, Claire settled herself higher on the bed, near the pillows, and watched the other two catch their breaths by their feet. "Annette," she said. "How much time do the drugs buy us?"

"A little over twelve hours...maybe, I don't know."

-Twelve more hours,- Claire thought, wishing for nothing more than to be able to sleep now with Ashley and Ada on either side of her.

**To be continued...**


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's note: Because some were wondering, this fic updates every Saturday. Sometimes Friday depending on what I've got going on.  
**

**Chapter Twenty-Six.**

They used the bathroom in Annette's quarters to clean and refresh themselves. Ada informed them that the machine they sought, which would remove the parasite from their bodies, was located on an island a few miles away.

"How does it work?" Claire asked, only now realizing that something the size of the creature's she'd seen being taken out of her body would constitute major surgery in normal cases.

"It's not what you're thinking," Annette said. "It's a bit like an x-ray machine. It doesn't actually remove the parasite, but rather kills it and causes it to break down. Hopefully our bodies will absorb the detritus with minimal complications."

Claire frowned, not liking anything Annette said. "So the question is, how do we get to the island?"

"A question I've already answered," said Ada. "I was planning on going there eventually, and there so happens to be a few small boats to the north of the castle."

"I know where you mean," Annette said. "It's only accessible from an elevator installed at the top of that damned tower."

"An the cult knows it," said Ada. "Which means they'll probably stop looking for us and lock down that tower."

Claire hated to voice aloud the thought she'd been having, but couldn't hold it any longer. "How do we know Saddler hasn't sabotaged the machine?" she asked.

"We don't, but I don't think he will," said Annette. "Saddler is the host of the main control Plaga, but you'll notice that hosts like Mendez and Salazar aren't exactly drones like the others."

Ada shrugged while Claire and Ashley nodded. "You remember when I said these parasites occurred in nature, and that we've been tinkering with them? Well, nothing is perfect, and every so often one mutates into a control Plaga that doesn't obey Saddler's commands, so they need to remove it."

"Wouldn't he just kill the host?" Claire asked.

"He would in most cases, but he has plans for infecting quite a few high value targets, such as Ms. Graham, here. I'd say she's infected with a control Plaga, given what he intends to do with her. The suppressor drugs might interfere with its development, and she might never be under Saddler's control."

"I still want it gone," said Ashley, her hand over her chest, rubbing it. "Thinking about it in there makes me want to puke."

Ada and Claire began taking count of their ammunition, and while it was ample, Ada didn't think it would last beyond the castle. "What's the island like?" Claire asked. "Guarded, I assume."

"Quite," Annette said. "It's a former gulag. Saddler infected the prisoners, guards, and some dock workers. That's not counting the experimental Plaga."

Claire's mouth was dry. "Do they have guns?"

"Some, but not many, I think," she said. "Part of how Saddler keeps this all under the radar is he doesn't deal in weapons. No drugs, either, so search me on how he pays for all this."

"That's good news," said Ada. "If they're coming at us with sticks and stones, all we need to worry about it getting more bullets."

Claire had a bad feeling about how that would happen, but said nothing as they went through the castle halls. It wasn't long before they found themselves in a large, bizarre room. One the one end as they came in was a giant statue of Salazar standing between a pair of pillars with his hands dangling at his sides. Before him was a stone bridge over reflecting pools that led to a door.

"Is that a...what is that supposed to be?" Ashley said, taking stock of the statue as the other women moved onto the bridge. Claire looked and saw what she was talking about. The thirty foot high likeness of Salazar was not a statue per se, in that seemed to have mechanical joints.

"Maybe they had to build it here in pieces," Claire said.

"Looks like he's overcompensating," said Ada when they were halfway across the stone walk. Claire was still casting backward glances at the figure when her gaze was drawn off its smug, unmoving face.

"Heads up," she said, seeing a man in a robe running behind the statue's head. There was a scaffolding behind the statue, and the room was suddenly filled with a loud clunking creak of a sound. Claire felt it in her feet and watched as the Salazar statue lurched forward on its leg joints.

"Run!" she shouted, and didn't have to repeat herself as the columns to their sides began to crumble and fall.

The statue's feet plodded along while the arms swung back and forth to keep balance. They made it to the door and found it locked. Claire now saw the improbable automaton was meant to crush them, and while she swung at the pad lock on the door with her hatchet she wondered if the pills she'd taken weren't really hallucinogens. The lock broke under a hard back blow from the hatchet, and the door swung open.

Terrified and a little confused, they moved outside where a long wooden bridge awaited them. They bolted across it, then ran faster as the machine at their heels broke through the wall. Claire felt the wooden bridge start to collapse, and felt her will to live spurred by the notion of how absurd the cause of her death would be if she fell.

The bridge led to the base of a squat stone tower, and getting to it involved one final leap, one Claire and Ada made, and Ashley and Annette nearly didn't. As she was pulling Ashley up, Claire saw the giant Salazar fall into the gorge, out of sight.

"Well...," Ashley said, panting. "That was weird."

They all looked to Annette for some explanation for the odd trap, and she just shrugged.

The tower they were near was skirted by a stone walkway, which they all took to the east side and saw another bridge leading over a chasm to a taller tower. At the bottom of that one, Claire could see over two dozen robed figures beneath torch sconces. A few were pushing something along towards the bridge, while above them she could see a dozen or so men with crossbows.

"They know we're here," said Ada. "And there's no going back."

"Claire, I want to help," said Ashley.

Claire shook her head and touched Ashley's should, guiding her back around the tower. "I'm going up top with the rifle. Stay here and guard Annette."

"I think that's a cannon," Ada said, interrupting what would have been an argument from Ashley. "Keep them from firing it, and I'll hit them from close range."

The stairs on the tower's west side led to the top, and Claire bounded up them, fearing what the cannon would do. She nearly had her head taken off by a scythe. She'd ducked, feeling the air from the attack move her hair, and fired the rifle from her hip. The bullet hit the robed man in the chest and he fell over the side of the tower, onto the stairs, where he came to rest at Ashley's feet

Two more men came at her, each pale with purple tattoos on their faces. One rushed her before she could shoot, and grappled with her. His mouth split open and a pair of insectiod mandibles snapped at her face, but she twisted her body and sent him down the stairs.

Ashley was firing her gun into the body of the first man, who was now being torn apart by the creature inside in its effort to escape. Claire's attention had been drawn away for a second too long and she felt something cut into the back of her shoulder.

Luck had saved her from a broken bone and torn muscle. The other zealot who'd swung his flail had over-extended the blow, hitting the apex of her should with the chain and not the spiked ball, so it did little more than scratch her. Claire hit him in the face with the rifle's butt-stock, then touching the barrel to his neck, fired.

Ashley had managed to kill the parasite as it hatched from its dead host, and had put enough bullets into the second zealot to keep him from moving. She looked up at Claire, shaking, but with an uneasy smile on her face. Claire winked at her, and reloaded the rifle before running to the edge of the tower.

The cannon had been dragged into position and was now pointed directly at their tower. It was surrounded by hooded men, one of whom was turning a crank on the stand the cannon rested on, raising it so it pointed higher.

Claire fired at the man on the crank, and the bullet bounced off the cannon a foot from his head. She adjusted her aim, and fired once more, this time splattering his comrades in blood and bone. Next she aimed at the figure behind the cannon who wore a red robe and deer skull helmet. Her first shot went wide, so did her second. The third hit him in the chest, just bellow the neckline, and he staggered back.

She heard a _thwump_ and the area around the cannon exploded into a cloud of wood splinters. -Ada's grenade launcher,- she thought. -I hope it doesn't...-

The cannon discharged, and unfortunately, hadn't been knocked too far out of alignment by the grenade to miss the tower. Claire felt it shake, and her ears ring while she coughed from the cloud of dust that had been kicked up. She waited for it to clear, praying the bridge wouldn't collapse, or the cult wouldn't try to destroy it.

She swore, seeing that was now what they intended to do. The cultists who had survived the explosion had taken up axes and other tools and were chopping at the wood. Claire rushed down the stairs, handing the rifle and some bullets for it off to Ashley and telling her to try and shoot the men on the rampart above them. "Not towards us, no matter how bad it gets!" she added before running around the front with her shotgun in hand.

"Come on!" Ada shouted, setting her grenade launcher down and leveling her machine gun, which hung from her shoulder by a strap.

A line of zealots came to met them, not caring that their fellows were busy trying to destroy the bridge beneath their feet. One blast from the shotgun felled two, while Ada's gun took the other three. Some of the saboteurs threw their tools at them, but Ada ducked them nimbly while Claire held up the shotgun to deflect an ax.

The shotgun's drum magazine was large enough for Claire to not worry about reloading, if she was careful with her shots and there weren't more cultists waiting to reinforce the crew outside.

To her side, Ada's machine gun clicked empty as a zealot ran at her. She sent him over the side of the bridge with a well-aimed kick, while Claire continued to pepper the the zealots chopping at the bridge. The one's she didn't drive back died, and Ada was able to reload and aim for the parasite's that escaped their hosts' dying bodies.

When they gained the base of the tower, Claire looked up, wondering why she wasn't dodging crossbow bolts, and why they hadn't come sooner. Looking back, she saw Ashley and Annette coming down the bridge, Ashley holding the rifle with ease and Annette carrying the pistol.

"I got 'em!" shouted Ashley, her face white and wide with nervous energy. "I missed a few times, but one you figure out where the stupid bullets are going, it's easy!"

No cultists came out to replace their massacred fellows, and Claire looked up to see one hanging over the edge of the rampart. "Nice shooting," Claire said, happily surprised.

"She's full of hidden talents, it seems," said Ada, stepping over a robed body. "I'm out of shells for the launcher, so that rifle is our only real long range option now."

"The scope's messed up on it," Claire said.

"We don't have time to sight it in. Let's get to the top of this tower and hope this was their last surge," said Ada.

Inside the tower, Claire saw that it was open in the middle beside a newly built freight elevator shaft, at the bottom of which stood Salazar and his remaining bodyguard.

"Typical Americans, solving all your problems with guns," he said. "Still, I should appla..aye!"

He screeched when Ashley's rifle cracked, the bullet pinging off the metal above his head. The four women all began firing, but Salazar twisted behind the bodyguard who turned his back to them, his robe becoming riddled with holes. Claire pulled the magnum as the elevator rose and fired, making everyone flinch as it put a hole in the elevator door. Not wanting to waste the rounds on blind shots, she refreshed the chamber and holstered the weapon.

"Could you not shoot that thing inside ever again?" said Annette, who had both hands over her ears.

"Did you say something?" Ada asked, her voice loud

"Hilarious," said Claire. "C'mon, lets not give him time to pull any more of his tricks.

They went running up the stairs, encountering no more zealots as they gained the top. A semi-clear line of fluid had been left trailing from the elevator over a wooden catwalk that led up the back side of the tower to a large, red oak door.

"Hold up," said Annette before they entered. "Be ready, you saw what Mendez was like, Salazar is worse."

"My life would be easier with Salazar dead, so let's get him before he decides to escape or destroy the boats," said Ada.

Claire licked her lips and took a deep breath, remembering the fight with Mendez. "Alright, let's go."

**To be continued...**


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty-Seven.**

"Hang back, and be careful with that rifle," Claire had said before opening the large door at the top of the tower. No sooner had Ada and Claire stepped inside, than a portcullis came sliding down, burying itself into slots in the stone floor. Claire spun around and reached for Ashley momentarily before trying to raise up the bars.

"Forget it," shouted Salazar, who stood on a raised platform in the center of the large, cylindrical room. Claire turned, seeing the trap they'd charged into.

Behind Salazar and his bodyguard was what appeared to be a giant gray flower with four petals that pulsed with blue veins. On either side rolled two, massive orange eyes. Where the flower's pistil would be, were slowly waiving, gray-white tentacles.

"This is the end for you," said Salazar, as he extended his arms and let the tendrils from the creature at his back envelope him and his body guard, raising them up like chess pieces to be enveloped in the petals.

"Give me the magnum," said Ada, and without thinking to question her, Claire did. "You run distraction while I look for a weak spot."

Claire was about to deliver instructions to Ashley, or perhaps take a clear view of her one last time, when something shot from between the petals like a piston, spraying fluid all about the room. The force of the thrust caused the stone floor to come loose in front of them, and collapse, making a deep pit between them and the creature. Claire was knocked off her feet coughed amidst stone dust, as something loomed over their heads.

The one human feature she could make out was an eye, twice the size of her head that rolled about, looking for something to focus on. It was set into something that suggested a head, that also held two jawbones, separated in the center and fashioned to be piercing blades.

A familiar cackling laugh could be heard as the dust cleared. Within the petals had emerged a cocoon of bones, which spread open like fingers to reveal the likeness of Salazar, gray and naked, half his body melded with the creature. His laugh was cut off by the report from the magnum, and now Salazar was missing a chunk from his shoulder.

The great head, supported by a long band of muscle and exposed bone, swung sideways and Ada cried out, being knocked off her feet and into the wall. -Distract it,- Claire thought, getting up and seeing the bone cocoon close around a writhing Salazar.

She fired at the long part of the one-eyed monstrosity that had bowled Ada over, doing it little damage, but getting its attention. It turned and darted, seeking to grasp her in its half-formed jaws. The only way she could move and avoid the attack was to roll into the pit, where she skinned her palms and knees on the rocks bellow.

The pit was in fact a storage area. The body of the giant Plaga had grown, fungus-like, into the stone, weakening the upper floor. Amidst the dust, Claire could see movement. Plaga the size of house cats came skittered towards her on thin legs. She fired, but they were too spread out, and leapt at her, biting at her with sharp mouth parts.

She shook them off and ran, hoping to get them in a cluster as they gave chase. Firing into the group of them, she remembered her job, and took one the last grenades from her belt and tossed it up to where Salazar hid. The grenade went off, making the long neck quake. It turned, but seemed unable to retract or bend to where it could reach her. Claire didn't think she had enough shells to kill both it and fend off the bugs attacking her, but fired at the neck all the same, hoping Ada could do something.

She heard Ashley scream and called out to her, but a report from the magnum made the thing above quiver. She could now hear what at first sounded like Salazar howling, but it became a series of gurgles as the neck twitched more violently before dropping.

The magnum went off one more time, and she could hear a voice she didn't recognize, along with Ada's.

"Ada!" she shouted, looking for a way up. Not finding one she liked, she resorted to climbing up the dead neck, using the vertebra as hand holds. The bone cocoon around Salazar hung open, and inside was his body, shriveled and coated in fluids of varying colors. His malformed face stared blankly away from her, and she looked away while getting over to where the floor had remained solid.

Ada was holding the magnum up, pointing it towards Ashley who appeared to be in the grip of someone Claire thought looked familiar. It was a muscular woman in a tank top, who wore a red beret that covered her short blond hair.

"You, come over here," said the woman, and Claire obeyed.

The woman clearly feared she would be shot by the magnum and was holding Ashley well in front of her, twisting Ashley's arm painfully behind her back. "Let her go," Claire said.

"Not happening," said the woman. "I just wanted a closer look at you. Claire Redfield, is it?"

Claire gritted her teeth, knowing the woman held all the cards now. Annette was lying on the ground, not moving. "I'm Claire. Who are you? G.I. Jane?"

"Jacqueline Krauser," said the woman, pulling Ashley higher. "I don't have a problem with you, just a mission. The bitch in the red dress on the other hand, I owe some serious payback."

"Careful, Krauser, I wouldn't mind blowing the girl's pretty little head off if it meant hitting you."

Claire turned the shotgun at Ada. "Ada..."

"Relax," she snapped. "I suppose the jig is up, then?"

"Oh, it's up alright. I told Wesker about you're little stunt," said Krauser.

"Wesker!?" Claire's attention briefly left Ashley for Ada.

Krauser chuckled. "You're losing friends fast, Wong. If I shoot you, you'll shoot me, and your girlfriend will shoot you. I might survive, but I don't know about you."

"I'd like to see you regenerate your head," Ada said, raising the magnum higher, aiming it at Krauser's head through Ashley's. "You're also assuming Wesker didn't order you killed."

Another derisive chuckle from Krauser. "Nice try, bitch. I don't know who you're really working for, but I intend to make you tell me before this is all over." She began to back up, towards the drop behind her. "I'm taking the First Daughter here to the island, along with the scientist."

She sidestepped and stooped to pick up Annette using one lithe, ropey arm. Claire knew Annette had to weight at least one-hundred and twenty pounds, but Krauser moved her like a half empty sack of grain. "What the hell are you? Another freak?" Claire asked.

"I'm the one that kidnapped her the first time. Looks like I got you again."

With that she stepped backward and fell over the edge, making Ashley scream. "Ashley!" Claire called out.

"Hmph," Ada snorted. "Thought I'd killed her. Must be losing my touch."

"Who the hell was that?" Claire asked.

"Jacqueline Krauser. She used to be in one of the groups that got merged into the BSAA. Seems she's become some kind of Veronica-Plaga hybrid."

Claire shook her head and aimed the shotgun higher at Ada. "She said you work for Wesker. Come clean. Now. With all of it."

"You're not going to shoot me," Ada said, and turned her back.

Claire lowered the weapon and walked to catch up, slipping her arm around Ada's neck as casually as she could, and pulled back. Ada hadn't expected it, and pulled at Claire's forearm while kicking back at her with her foot. Claire noted with some satisfaction that the kicks were aimed at her crotch, meaning Ada was more used to fighting off men than women. Claire dropped the shotgun and put her knee into Ada's lower back, twisting her around and taking her to the ground. She moved quickly to try and get control of Ada's arms, but was caught in the jaw by an elbow that stunned her, allowing Ada to wiggle out from underneath.

On her feet now, Ada glared before flashing a grim smile and divesting herself of her weapons. Claire did the same.

"So we're doing this now?," said Ada. "I didn't think you had this kind of time to waste, but alright."

"We don't have to waste any time if you tell me what the hell you're doing working for Wesker. I assume he wants to mess around with the parasite?"

"All I know is his checks don't bounce," Ada said. "And if you had been paying attention, you'd see I'm not really working for Wesker, having tried to kill his employee so I could save your little girlfriend some discomfort."

"Then tell me who you're really working for," Claire said.

"I don't think I will."

Claire rushed forward, feigning clumsiness. Ada moved to the side, as Claire thought she might, and so she turned her tackle into a running leg sweep, which caught Ada's legs and put her on the ground. Claire got on top of her as fast as she could, knowing she wouldn't win a striking contest, but could beat Ada in a grapple.

She hit Ada in the stomach to draw her hands from her face, then tried to slip a punch to her chin. Ada blocked the stomach blow with one hand while guarding her face with the other, and shot back at Claire's midsection with the arm she'd kept over her own. She took hold of Claire's shirt, and pulled her forward, getting a glancing blow on Claire's jaw with the hand she'd kept to block her own face.

Claire grabbed Ada's arm and sought to turn her over. She half succeeded, but Ada got out from underneath her, and instead of rising to her feet slipped an arm around Claire's head and pulled her down into a headlock, where she tucked short blows up into Claire's face.

She took the short punched and used her arms to help her get her feet under her, then lifted Ada's slight frame upward. They were close to the wall, and Ada's grip was tightening around her neck, making her see spots. The lock loosened when Claire slammed Ada into the stone, hearing her let out a breath. She backed away and slammed her again, then a third time, and Claire was able to slip from Ada's grip.

She didn't break from the grapple, however, and took hold of Ada, bringing her knee up into the stunned woman's midsection, sending the air from her body in a loud _oof. _Another blow to with her knee was aimed at Ada's kidney, and Claire knew she'd won the fight when her ex lover's body went limp and heavy. She shoved Ada into the wall and tried not to feel anything as she aimed a punch at her face. It connected, bopping the back of her head into the stone wall, and Ada slumped to the ground.

Claire, now feeling more tired than ever, slumped beside her, and gave her head something soft to rest on as Ada regained full consciousness. "Do you feel better now?" she asked, he voice barely above a whisper.

Claire kissed the top of Ada's head, letting the scent of her dark hair fill her up and briefly drive out the wet, sour smell that seemed to pervade everything in the castle.

"I still can't tell you who I'm working for," Ada said.

"I don't care anymore," Claire said, feeling like if she said more she might cry. "They're not too bad, are they?"

"I wish I knew, dear," Ada said. "I know what they want me to do, and I know they pay well."

She cradled Ada now, and could feel a small goose egg forming on the back of her head. "You could have just said that. Are you alright?"

"I've had worse," said Ada. "Looks like the government boys taught you a few tricks."

"Maybe," said Claire. "It seems like I've been getting the crap kicked out of me every other minute."

"I think karma was on your side, just now," said Ada, coughing. "You're right, I dumped you, and I regret it. I guess I was jealous, or something like it."

"I..." Claire stopped, not sure of what to say or how she should say it. "I'm really confused," she said.

Ada shifted, moving off Claire where she could sit up on her own. "I'm not a normal person, Claire, and what we had wasn't a normal thing. I think you know what you meant to me in the beginning, that's no secret, but it turned into something real. I didn't expect it to, and I didn't realize until that boy, Steve,...I wasn't worried about him, but he reminded me that you're a normal person and I'm not, and that someday you'd want something different, something where I didn't fit in."

Everything in Claire's body felt tight and hot, and it took great effort to keep her voice from cracking.

"I can't blame you for thinking that," Claire said. "I felt like I was on some crazy ride, and that I'd get off at some point, but then it got real for me, too. When you dumped me, I felt so stupid...like I'd been baited along, then cut loose. It hurt."

"So that Ashley girl is a rebound," Ada said, flatly.

Claire shook her head. "I care about her. As much as I care about you," she said. "She's not a rebound girl; what I have with her is real. And don't you even start with what has to happen between us, I know. She knows."

Ada looked up at her, giving her a sad smile. Claire could tell what she was thinking, and hoped Ada had good enough sense not to say it. -You'll be waiting to pick up the pieces, won't you?-

"Believe me, I don't want to see you hurt again," Ada said, stepping perilously close to the line Claire had drawn. "Or even the girl. She seems like she's got spunk, and she's good with that rifle."

"She's not the person most people think she is," said Claire. "And don't assume you and I are getting back together after it ends, I'm not a person who needs to be in a relationship at all times."

"I don't make assumptions," Ada said. "And neither should you. Come on, let's get going. It can be like old times for a little while."

"Not quite," Claire said.

"I think you're forgetting that bug inside you won't leave you a choice in the matter. Plus, if we're together we can get better gear from that perverted merchant if we see him again."

"You were always so practical," said Claire, picking up the shotgun and magnum while Ada retrieved her machine gun. Luckily the guns Annette and Ashley has been holding had fallen close enough to the portcullis so that Claire could reach through the bars and retrieve them. Meanwhile, Ada found the door in the back that led to the elevator outside which took them down to where the small boats had been tied.

"Why did that Krauser woman tell us where she was going?" Claire asked.

"Because she works for Wesker and is only pretending to be loyal to Saddler," Ada said. "Wesker wants as much information on Las Plagas as he can get, and he probably also wants to keep a tab on Saddler's scheme."

"Why would Wesker send two of you?" asked Claire as they boarded one of the boats.

"Who knows. Insurance in case one of us betrayed him or was compromised. Maybe he'd like to see Saddler's plan succeed to some degree. People like Wesker know how to benefit from that sort of chaos."

"Do you know what happened with him and Alexia?"

"I suspect they're working together, waiting for a good opportunity to stick a knife in the other's back. You see, they're all working to destroy themselves, and they don't need my help to hurt people, so I don't feel too about about taking money from one to steal from the other."

The boat was now bouncing over the waves, heading toward a black strip of land in the distance where Claire could see red and white pinpricks of light. "Whatever helps you sleep, Ada," she said. "Right now, tell me what you know about the island."

**To be continued...**


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty-eight.**

The boat bounced over the choppy water towards the island, and Ada guided it to a cove where the water was black and calm. They floated in and moored next to another boat, which Claire guessed had been the one Krauser took. Claire tried her radio when they stepped onto the dock, but it was still making the squealing noise that meant the jammer was within range.

"Maybe that merchant can sell you a better radio," Ada said.

Claire snorted. "Right. What's the deal with that guy, anyway? I try not to think too much about him."

"I think he's a Plaga host, but not under Saddler's command."

"Hm. Wonder how that happened. Maybe he got kicked out for being a creeper."

Ada laughed. "It's like the scientist was saying, the parasite is native to these parts. I did some research before coming here that suggested the castle was built over some mines where they had been buried, or left to fossilize. Saddler came along, made some kind of deal with Salazar, and here we are today."

"So...?"

"So who's to say the villagers they had doing the digging were the first round of infected? I bet there was, or is, a small community of the things keeping to themselves in the hills."

"He's got a funny idea of keeping to himself," said Claire, as they went down the dock and into a cave, cluttered with assorted tools and supplies. Parts of the ceiling were exposed, and Claire could see a few stars, most being blocked by light pollution from somewhere up ahead.

The path they were on led over a channel of seawater, and up a stony hill. At the top, there were a handful of concrete warehouses, each looking like it hadn't seen maintenance since the day they were built, in addition to having suffered a recent artillery strike. At the center of them was a burning heap of garbage and tires throwing up tendrils of black smoke. Around the fire were about a dozen men, most sitting on crates and listening to a large chocolate-skinned man telling them a story in guttural Spanish. His face was obscured by the fire, but Claire could see he wore a bright red beret and was chomping on a long, thick cigar.

The men around him were clearly ganado. Their skin was gray and sallow, their clothes as filthy as the junk they were burning. Some wore World War II era helmets, and one had a gas mask on that he'd fitted with spiked studs. Beyond them, up a set of concrete steps, looked to be the entrance to a bunker that led deeper into the island.

"I'll let you call the shots for a while," Ada whispered.

Claire rolled her eyes, as there was only one option she could see. "Gee, thanks. Get their attention, then."

Ada whistled, and the ganado turned their heads. After a pause, they all clamored for blades and clubs, but checked themselves when the man in the beret said something. He was behind the fire, and stood up to retrieve something heavy behind him. She couldn't see what it was, but could hear the ganado laughing to themselves. She nearly screamed when he stepped around the fire.

He held a mini-gun, and was adjusting the ammunition belt that hung around his hip to a pack on his back.

"I didn't expect that," Ada said.

"Take cover!" Claire shouted, running back down the stony hill as the gun opened up behind her. Each shot blurred into a continuous _hum,_ and under it she heard the air moving above her head. They ran into the tunnel, but didn't slow their panicked retreat. Claire thought about the boat, but nixed the idea, not wanting to be caught under machine gun fire over the water.

Claire stopped when she saw the pervert on the dock, having just stepped off his own boat. -He's like Starbucks...- she thought, her mouth open, unsure if she should warn him or ask for help.

"Hey there," Ada said, waving to the pervert. "Just the man I wanted to see."

"Sounds like ye got some trouble," the pervert said. "I think I got a remedy or two."

"No time to pay up front," said Ada. "But you know I'm good for it."

"Is she?" he nodded his hooded head towards Claire, who sputtered, unable to find the right combination of expletives that would express her feelings.

"Claire, there's a man with a mini-gun after us," Ada said.

Claire rolled her head back and had to close her eyes, forcing serenity on herself. "Fine. Show us what you've got."

The pervert pulled three small square boxes from his coat and handed them to Ada, who cradled them in both hands. Claire could see from how they curved they were Claymore mines. "I would suggest you set two on that slope there, where its cut in on the sides, and set the other about three meters down. He'll see the third, but maybe not the first two."

"My thoughts exactly," Ada said, running to the tunnel. Claire could hear the deep, booming laughter of the big ganado as he came down the tunnel.

Claire cast sidelong glances at the pervert while watching Ada. The pervert seemed almost bored, but aware of the glare he was under. His expression was one of bored approval as Ada finished setting the mines and ran back.

"Might want to get your rifle ready in case it doesn't work," she said.

Claire aimed the weapon down at the tunnel exit, thinking at least she'd have a big target to fire at.

The big man did exactly as they planned. He saw the mine farthest from him, and fired on it while walking forward. It exploded from being shot, while his feet triggered the first, blowing his legs out and sending him toppling down the slope into the other mine, which went off in his face. His comrades didn't seem impressed by his death, and came pouring down the tunnel to be cut down by Ada and Claire's fire.

"Is that it?" Claire asked, refreshing the magazine in her pistol.

"Looks like it," said Ada, turning to the pervert. "Alright, let's talk business."

Claire tried not to shiver as she walked over the rubble-strewn ground towards the set of steps that led to the bunker. She wore a pair or red Crocs, a tiny red bikini, and her utility belt. If one counted the rifle strap as clothing, (And Claire did not), she wore that, too.

Ada wore a similar outfit, only her's left far less to the imagination. "This can't be safe," Claire whispered, watching Ada walk. "We're practically naked."

"Shush," said Ada. "You know the only lines you're supposed to say."

"He can edit around it. And those lines are stupid, I'm not saying them."

Ada cast a glance back at her, surprising her with how serious she looked. "We need all the help we can get," she muttered, not opening her lips more than she had to. "He said after we have a few battles, we're free to do as we like."

Claire frowned, noting "a few battles" was not a definite number, and she didn't like assuming there would be more fighting ahead, even though it was likely there would be. For the umpteenth time she looked down at her bare skin and noted the dozens of cuts and bruises she wore, not to mention some of the stubborn dirt stains that marred her skin. -If I have to be in a wretched porn movie, I should at least look good,- she thought.

She could hear the pervert clicking with his camera a dozen yards back. He was prepared to film them as well once the shooting started. Claire wondered how their victory would affect the movie's value to whoever it was being distributed to. "Specific clients, I assure you," the pervert had said.

-If we die, he'll probably sell our underwear,- she thought. -I'm keeping this damn bikini if I live...-

Ada opened the door to the bunker, and they let the pervert catch up to follow them in. Claire moved to the lead, the shotgun at the ready, and made her way down a long, square hall until it forked and fed into a large room filled with desks and monitors.

Several ganado had been stationed there, and Claire did not hesitate to fire into where most were clustered. Ada stood close behind her, shooting at the ones about to throw a weapon. and taking out the legs of the ones that charged them, killing them before they could stand back up.

The fight was over quickly and Claire's ears were ringing, making her unsure of what Ada was shouting. "...baby," was all she heard, and she remembered she was supposed to say stupid catch-phrases as they fought.

"Suck on that," Claire said, sounding stupider than she thought would be possible. She caught Ada rolling her eyes. "What?"

"Your dialog is awful," said Ada. "Don't tell me you've never wanted to shout cocky things while you shot monsters?"

"Having something try to eat my face doesn't put me in a cocky mood," Claire said.

"Next room you come to, shout 'suck my boom-stick,' and let 'em have it," said Ada, walking over the corpses she'd created.

"I will not," said Claire, following her.

The room with the monitors, all of which showed static, had two exits, one that led to a much narrower hallway with pipes running along the ceiling. Claire followed close behind Ada, trying not to be distracted by the amount of bare skin she was showing. Their shooting had attracted attention, and a door at the end of the hall opened up, admitting a huge, armored ganado. He wore a chest plate and steel leggings. Chains guarded his midsection, and he wore a military-style helmet with a crude face-plate bolted onto it. In his right hand he carried a spiked club, which he banged against the wall while walking confidently towards them.

Ada crouched, allowing Claire to aim the shotgun over her head. "Wait until he's closer, then say it," Ada said.

"I'm not saying it," said Claire.

The huge man stepped a foot to the side and Claire could see he had company behind him. A small ganado in a red bandana who carried a small crossbow. In such a small space, Claire didn't think he would miss, and she cursed.

"Say it!" Ada shouted, firing a burst at the crossbow wielder as his bolt flew.

Claire felt the wind from it above her right ear and shouted "Suck it!" and fired the shotgun. The pellets hit the big ganado, but didn't slow him down. Instead he sped up, wielding his club like a spear. Claire aimed into his mouth, the only fleshy part she could see, and was rewarded by seeing blood and chunks of bone splatter over the metal breast plate, staggering the brute. Ada raised her machine gun and let off a short burst, putting at least one bullet into the big man's face, felling him.

Claire kept shooting at the ganado who came into the hall. They did not seem to consider the fact they stood no chance, and she wondered if it wasn't part of some overall strategy to wear down their ammunition supply. When it was done, and the hall stank of gunpowder and blood, Claire felt her chin grabbed and lips pressed against hers. She let Ada kiss her, knowing part of it was the show they'd agreed to put on.

"Let's go," said Claire, breaking the kiss "God knows what they're doing to Ashley."

"There's a limit to what they'll do, you know," said Ada.

"Visibly, yes," Claire said.

"No offense, but I think that parasite has broadened the girl's horizons a little."

Claire had a been a few steps ahead, and spun around to fix Ada with a glare. "What?"

"Eh, if you two are going to fight again, we should find some mud or something," said the pervert, who had come into the hall.

"Again? You saw the first time?"

"Say what?" said the pervert, cupping a hand around his ear.

Claire shook her head at the two of them, and carried on.

**To be continued...**


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty-nine.**

Ashley stood in front of a tall iron door with her arms crossed, looking through the tiny bared window an inch or so above her head. She could see the shoulder of the huge man who stood guard outside the room she'd been locked in, and thought if she had a gun she could shoot him behind the ear.

But she didn't have a gun, and she thought she'd probably just mess up anyway. Blowing a strand of hair from her face, she turned around to see how the gloomy scientist woman was recovering. She was reclined on a pile of grain sacks, her eyes closed, her face pinched.

Ashley went to the middle of the room and pretended to look out the small slit of a window to her right. "So," she said. "You used to work for Umbrella?"

Annette groaned. "Leave me alone."

"Sorry," Ashley said, thinking their time spent together in the dumpster had meant they should at least speak. She put her hands sharply to her sides on realizing she'd been fiddling one of her nipples.

"You think we'll get rescued again?" she asked.

"Ugh, I don't know...you said they killed Salazar?"

"He looked dead to me. How is what he did even possible?"

Another sigh from Annette. "Even if you were a trained scientist, you wouldn't believe or understand me. Advanced B.O.W projects have a way of flying in the face of what's accepted about biology." Annette paused, then began talking more, clearly happy to speak to someone about what she knew. "The Plaga occur naturally, see. What I did was I took some concepts from the G-Virus regarding energy consumption by cells, and applied it to the Plaga. That's what lets some of them grow and transform like they do. Those kinds of metamorphosis require time and calories, but I've been able to engineer parasites that break natural thresholds."

"The G-virus?"

"Superior to the T-virus, which destroyed Raccoon City," said Annette.

"Oh. You and Claire were talking about Raccoon City."

"Yes, when she punched me. Can't say I didn't deserve it. I've done a lot of great things for bad purposes...maybe I deserve what's coming to me."

Ashley bit her lip and turned away, thinking Annette was probably right. "Can I ask, why?"

"Why what?"

"Why work on things like parasites and G-viruses? You know they're bad, you know what people will do with your work."

She faced Annette again, and saw a smile had spread over her face. "I've been thinking about that a lot lately. You know, I got into this line of work to make vaccines. But to make vaccines and stay ahead of the diseases, sometimes you have to anticipate them, and to do that you have to engineer viruses that are nastier than anything in nature. That's how it starts; that's how I met my husband, William, who was light years ahead of anyone in his field. I guess I got caught up in the discoveries he was making, ones that flipped known science on its head..."

"Curiosity, then?" Ashley said. "I don't mean to judge, but how could you make zombies and monsters in the same town, in the same _world,_ your daughter lives in?"

Annette slid off her sack bed and onto her feet, startling Ashley. "Money helps," she said, moving towards the window, close to Ashley. "Money makes you think you're building a future for her, money makes you able to tell yourself you're still working on ways to fight against B. , despite being the worlds leading manufacturer of them. Maybe that's hard for you to understand. I don't think you've ever not had a lot of money at your fingertips?"

"I've been pretty lucky," Ashley said, crossing her arms. "People like to blame me for it, but whatever."

"Oh, I'm not blaming you, dear," Annette said. "You don't get to pick where you start, that goes for privileged people, too. I must say, you've impressed me a little." She had turned now, and Ashley didn't care for the chipper look on her face.

"Oh Really?"

"Yes. I was expecting the girl most people envision when they see you on television or magazines."

"And how do most people envision me?" Ashley asked, already having a fairly good idea.

"Spoiled, stupid. It's the hair, dear, and the body. People think pretty blondes are idiots, regardless of any evidence to the contrary. I'd say for someone not trained in the slightest to deal with situations like this, you've held up pretty well."

Ashley felt the back of her neck turning red. She was used to hollow compliments, and while what Annette said meant little, she felt it was genuine. "Thank you...I guess some of Claire rubbed off on me."

"She's a strange one," Annette said. "Stranger than all of us, I think."

"How so?"

"Well, you're clearly not meant to be in a place like this. That Ada woman and I, are, but Claire...she seems to have feet in both worlds. It's like she's not comfortable here, but fits anyway. I don't know, I'm not really that much of a people watcher."

Ashley nodded, and began to pace. "I wonder which world she'll pick."

"Assuming we don't all die here? Who knows. It's a safe bet you'll be kept under lock and key after this. You two might be able to carry on something discrete in a few years, if you don't mind the limelight. But in the meantime...Claire seems to like dangerous women, and Ada definitely one of those."

"Sounds swell," said Ashley, letting out a long sigh, now sorry she'd gotten Annette to talk. Ashley wished she'd use some of her powers of observation to realize none of this was making her feel better.

"However," Annette continued. "It seems to me that Ada's a bit extreme for Claire. That could be your opening."

Ashley now looked to Annette, her face animated, her eyes dead. "How so?"

"Well, if Claire likes Ada, who's just a bit too intense for her, maybe all you, a fairly normal girl, would have to do is take it up a few notches."

"You're saying Claire likes normal girls with a dangerous side, and I can get her by being a little more like Ada, but not too much?"

Annette nodded.

"But she's not going to wait the years it would take for us to be together," said Ashley.

"Is that set in stone? Don't tell me you have no pull with your father?"

"Not as much as people seem to think," she said, impatient. "I'm a free woman, but carrying on a love affair with my female bodyguard...I had to make some big bluffs for him to let me study abroad. And look how that turned out."

"I'm sure if Claire rescues you, the president's spin doctors can work the whole thing to his advantage. Maybe go after the gay vote, somehow."

"I'm not..." Ashley stopped, having lost the energy to think about that now, not with her thoughts bent towards the possibilities Annette had presented. She remembered her talk with Claire earlier, how they'd said nothing was certain, but still the sense that they wouldn't be together after this had clung to them and grown.

-Annette's right,- Ashley thought. -But it won't matter if we don't win, and we won't win if I don't stop wasting my time thinking about stuff I can't help.-

She forced Claire from her mind and began to think about her current situation in earnest, remembering that if the cult wanted its plan to work, they couldn't kill her. Ashley began to look around the room for things she might use in her escape. The room was almost divided in half by a high metal shelf that contained mostly bags of grain, but also seemingly random items no one had been able to find a place for. Lengths of pipe, broken parts, and different odds and ends Ashley could not identify.

Standing on a bucket by the door, she looked out at the guard. He faced a small alcove, and she could not see if there were more in the hall outside. The swung out, she thought, and because of the shelf there would be no way of attacking whoever entered by surprise. She considered a tripwire, but there was no place to tie it across the floor.

Annette was standing against the far wall, her arms crossed. "Thinking of something?" she asked.

"Yes, but I don't have a science degree, and it's getting harder for me to think," said Ashley. "Know what I mean?"

"I do," said Annette, twirling a strand of her hair.

Ashley, rather than feeling disgusted, felt annoyed for the distraction. She tried to ignore it, but now that she knew she was aroused, the feeling seemed to increase.

"It's worse than before," Ashley said.

Annette sucked in a breath. "My guess is until we find the cure, the urge will come less often, but harder when it does."

"Ugh. Well then lets get it over with."

They moved away from the door and to make matters easier, removed their clothing. It was mechanical, emotionless. There was no teasing beyond a grip or squeeze of a buttock or breast, and when they went to the floor, they positioned themselves to get the job done as quickly as possible. Annette was less flexible, so she lay with her legs open while Ashley positioned herself in between, doing most of the work in grinding their womanhoods together. Ashley did her best to pretend it was Claire beneath her, and was surprised when Ada's image popped in as well.

She felt Annette come beneath her, and followed suit. Once the tingling feeling wore off, she quickly put her clothes back on, as did Annette. "I still feel it," Ashley said. "Not as bad, but still..."

"Same here," Annette said. "I'm not sure what this means, but it isn't good."

"Well then lets get out of here and get the thing taken out!"

"Alright, fetch me that bucket. There's some chemicals they've left in here that when mixed make a fairly caustic acid...or an explosive. Hope for acid."

"Acid, right," Ashley said, bringing Annette the bucket. Annette found a rag, and opened a small tin of some kind of goop, which she wiped on the the interior of the metal bucket before pouring in about five liquids from different half empty bottles. She then stirred the concoction with a length of plastic pipe. When she removed the pipe, it had melted.

"Why isn't it melting the bucket?" Ashley asked. "Is it because of the goop?"

"Yes, that substance is acting as a barrier, but it will wear off soon enough. Now, how do we get that lug in here?"

Ashley motioned her behind the shelf with the bucket and began screaming at the top of her lungs. "Help! Help! She's gone crazy!" She then pulled a shelf of items off onto the floor, drowning her own shouts in noise.

The door opened and in came the big man. His head came around first, and his arms had been lowered, meaning to grab at something, so he took the bucket of makeshift acid full in the face. His club fell to the ground and he went stumbling back into the wall, holding his face which Ashley could see was sloughing off. Careful not to touch the acid, she picked up the club, raised it above her head, and let it drop over the ganado's helmet. He was writhing on the ground, and Ashley felt Annette tug her from behind. "Let's go!"

The club fell from her hands and she ran from the room, following Annette and waiting to be ambushed by more of the ganado. They entered what looked to be some kind of maintenance or meeting room where there were a few monitors showing what looked like boilers and water pools. "Stop," said Annette, and Ashley could hear dozens of footsteps getting louder. "We have to hide."

Ashley looked around. Under the table was no good and they would not fit in any of the lockers lined up in a row on the other end of the room. "What's that?" she asked, pointing to a handle on the wall.

"A trash chute...no telling how high up were are or if it goes to an incinerator or not."

Ashley ran to it and opened it up. It was a big chute and would easily accommodate them. "I don't feel any heat," she said, also noting the smell wasn't as bad as she'd anticipated.

The steps were louder and they could hear voices. "Let's go," Ashley said, thinking Claire would be proud of her if she could manage her own escape. She climbed into the chute and fell through, dropping several alarming feet before the chute angled out and let her slide.

She landed on a mountain of black garbage bags and immediately her skin began to crawl. Whatever was in the bags was solid, soft, and bony.

Annette came down behind her, and did not seem eager to stay on the bags for long, either. "Did they see you come down?" asked Ashley.

"I don't think so," she said.

"Ugh. What's in those bags?"

"You don't want...to...know," Annette said, her words getting quieter. "Oh, God, no..."

Ashley looked around. She could see they were in some large room divided by steel partitions. Garbage bags had been piled haphazardly in corners, and there seemed to be still conveyer belts between the partitions leading to what might have been an incinerator or a compactor. "What is it? Where are we?"

"Damn, I should have remembered," Annette said.

"Remembered what?"

"Shhh," Annette said. "There's a good chance none of them are active, but if they are, they might hear us."

"What?" Ashley asked, whispering. Her heart had been racing, but now her chest felt tight.

Annette motioned her to come closer, and spoke into her ear. "A type of Plaga host I created...the worst of them, by far. They can regenerate wounds, they're practically unkillable if you don't know the secret. They were unstable, however. Uncontrollable. I told Saddler to have them burned, but I know they just got dumped. Down here."

Ashley felt her insides turning to ice. She had no idea what one of these things looked like, but Annette's tone said it all.

The room had taken on a stillness Ashley had not noticed before. While nothing seemed to move, she could hear each and every small, distant clink hum from buzzing machines and groaning metal. "Do you know how to get out of here?" she whispered.

Annette had turned white, her feelings of deserved misfortune had seemingly deserted her. She looked past Ashley and gestured with her chin in a vague direction. "We might get lucky, they might all have died or gone dormant."

"What's the trick to killing them?" Ashley whispered, feeling stupid for asking as they had no weapons.

Annette shook her head to dismiss the question as she quietly stepped past Ashley and towards the gap in the partition. "They have multiple Plaga in their bodies. They're like a colony, similar to a slime mold, but humanoid. Take out the Plaga keeping the other cells alive and the whole thing will die. You've have to shoot them into a fine paste to stop them, or know where the Plaga have taken root."

On the other side of a second partition, it became clear her guide had little knowledge of where she was going, leading them down a narrow hallway that dead-ended in a large utility closet. "Could you make more of that acid?" Ashley asked.

Annette looked around the room, shook her head, then leaned against a wall while rubbing her temples. "If I had a boiler I could make an explosive compound...not sure how we'd control it, however."

Ashley grabbed a mop handle, held the end to the ground, and kicked it. It was brittle, and it snapped into a fine point.

"What are you doing?" Annette asked. "I've seen one of those things bite a man's head clean off, you're not going to fight it with a mop handle."

"All I know is the next creep who gets near me is losing an eye," said Ashley. "Come on, we can't stay here, they'll never find us in time. If we see one of those things, we'll just have to run and hope for the best."

It looked like Annette was going to need some convincing, but Ashley had little time to draft the necessary motivational speech when she heard something from out in the hall. Her stomach twisted into a knot and she held her spear high, waiting to see what this horrible monster Annette barely described truly looked like.

The door did not burst open, but rather the knob turned, and Ashley wondered why she had not locked it. -Claire,- she thought in disbelief, there being no way she could be this lucky twice.

Her cynicism was validated when an annoyed Jacqueline Krauser walked through the door. A spark of surprise lit on her face briefly, before grim satisfaction washed it away. "Good," she said. "Thought I was going to have to waste a lot of time searching."

"You can go," said Ashley. "We'll catch up with you, don't worry."

Krauser crossed her arms and tapped her foot, looking down like an irritated parent. "If you're going to be this much of an inconvenience then some punishment is in order. Maybe you'll think twice about running off again after I show what can happen when you make me chase you down."

Annette was backing up, as was Ashley, each thinking there was no way Krauser could catch them both of she went after one of them. Ashley knew it would be her Krauser went for, so she stepped farther back, letting Krauser come farther in and away from the door.

Annette made her move too early, and had the back of her shirt snatched in Krauser's fist before she crossed the threshold. Lifting her up off her feet, Krauser tossed Annette to the side and kicked the door shut before turning around again, this time with a smile on her face. "I think I'll break her legs, then deal with you," Krauser said.

"No!" Ashley shouted. "No, please, we'll cooperate, just don't hurt her."

Krauser called Ashley over with the crook of her finger and the girl came. "Drop the stick," she said, and was again obeyed.

"You win, okay," Ashley said.

Krauser reached out to feel one of Ashley's breasts. She stood still, feeling her body respond to the touch. "The torture before was for show. Your stay doesn't have to be so bad, it can even be pleasant, if you cooperate, that is."

Ashley licked her lips and hoped it wasn't taking her as long to respond as it seemed. She felt there was an opportunity here, somewhere. -Don't rush it,- she thought. -She'll know if you're too eager.-

"I don't see how that can be," she said, looking at Krauser, whose tightly muscled figure was making her squirm.

"You have to see the big picture," said Krauser. "I'm fighting for world peace, believe it or not. I value order. We might be on slightly different sides, but you don't have to take it personal."

"I don't? Can you get me out of here?" She knew the answer, but it was the little touches that made an act believable.

"No, but I can keep the ganado from being overly aggressive. They see me as a controller, and if they think I've marked you, they'll leave you alone."

"What a load of bullshit," said Annette. "You were going to rape her, now you're trying to charm her?"

Annette got to her feet and walked towards them, making Ashley's eyes bulge in anticipation of the impending violence. Krauser took her by the jaw and pulled her forward, brushing Ashley aside. "Sounds like you just want to go first," said Krauser. "Fine, you can be my warm up before I take care of that Asian bitch."

In one motion she shoved Annette face first against the door and hiked up her skirt. Ashley stood back, her vague plan now in ruins, and watched Krauser lift Annette up while undoing her own pants. She heard something wet and fleshy become unsheathed and was unable to turn away, the Plaga inside her imbuing her with a morbid fascination. She could see Krauser's mutant cock briefly before it found its way into Annette, making her moan.

"Must be you wanted this," Krauser said in her ear. "Running your mouth like that to piss me off...Plaga's made you a little slut, then. Or maybe you were slutty before?"

She was thrusting with her hips while holding Annette to the door. Each movement was punctuated by a slamming sound and a whimper. The mop handle lay where it had fallen, and Ashley looked between it and Krauser's rippling back. Before she could make up her mind, Krauser grunted and thrust harder into Annette before pulled out. She tossed the woman to the side where she landed on the floor and didn't move.

Krauser turned around, the appendage she'd used on Annette jutted out, dripping. It was phallic but bore no real resemblance to any penis Ashley had ever seen. Despite this, her skin felt hot and thoughts of sucking it as well as having it inside her ran through her mind. "It was rough because she's a bitch," said Krauser. "I've still got a pussy, if you pref..."

The door burst open as Ashley had expected it to the first time. It made her duck, but she could see the door hit Krauser in the back and fall near Annette. "Shit," muttered Krauser, when she turned to see the thing in the doorway.

It was shaped like a person with two arms, a head, and legs, but its humanity was merely a suggestion. Its mottled gray skin covered a body more like a clay dummy, the head a Jack O' Lantern with red eyes and a vertical mouth stuffed with too many teeth. It made an eager hissing sound as it walked unsteadily forward and lunged at Krauser, who sidestepped the attack and pulled a knife.

Ashley picked up her mop handle and kept still, hoping the monster wouldn't divert its attention from Krauser. She didn't have to hope, as Krauser seemed to be luring it back into the room to give herself more room to fight.

Ashley darted forward when the thing made another lunge at Krauser, who this time caught the monster and began stabbing into its torso.

Ashley shook Annette, who got clumsily to her feet. "Let's go, come on!" she shouted.

Annette staggered after her as they went back into the series of hallways and open rooms, the sounds of battle diminishing behind them. They ran to the other end of the main room and took a corner down a long hall where they ran headlong into Osmund Saddler himself.

He almost didn't seem to notice them as they picked themselves up off the floor and ran back. Ashley thought she'd tripped on something, but could see a long, dark colored tentacle had wrapped around Annette's leg, and was pulling her back. Ashley had come to the same fate, and swatted and clawed at the appendage as she was dragged forward and raised to hand upside down in front of Saddler.

"You're becoming quite annoying," Saddler said. "Both of you." He raised his hand in front of Ashley's chest, and she felt something squirm inside. "Ah," he said. "Yes, very annoying. Well, you will have earned what comes next."

He turned around, and the tentacles that held them, which slipped from beneath his long, purple robe, let them to floor and dragged them along like kicking, screaming bags.

**To be continued...**


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty.**

There weren't as many ganado in the compound as Claire had feared it would be, but the ones they encountered were well-armed, organized, and fierce. The crossbow bolts flew with enough frequency for Claire to assume all the ganado were armed with guns, and she fought accordingly, using the techniques she'd been taught in her government training. By the time they got a moment to rest, Claire's ears were ringing from gunshots and her skin smelled of gunpowder.

"How are we on ammo?" Claire asked.

They stopped and checked their packs while the pervert filmed them from close by.

"We're a bit low," said Ada. "And I'm incredibly turned on, so you know," she added under her breath.

Claire smiled despite herself. She could feel the urge, too, and wasn't sure it could all be blamed on the parasite. Splattering infected people was not one of her turn-ons, but Ada was. "How long is this movie of yours?" she asked, turning towards the pervert and using the chance to un-wedge the back of her bikini which had become damp with sweat.

"Shoot more material than you'll use, is the golden rule of film makin'," said the pervert. "Might have to do some sound editin' 'round you, though."

She detected no chastisement in his voice, but felt like she should. From the corner of her eye, she caught Ada nodding. "Really, Claire, 'whoo-ha!' What was that?"

She felt her cheeks turn red at the memory of the last thing she'd shouted before showering a group of ganado in buckshot. "I didn't think it was that bad," Claire said. "Who cares, anyway? Let's quit messing around."

Claire noticed the condition of the compound was improving the father in they went. Crumbling, damp concrete walls were replaced by newer synthetic materials, and better lighting. Claire thought she could hear the pervert muttering something behind them, but couldn't tell what it was. She strained her ringing ears, curious because his voice now seemed to carry a real emotion. Fear?

"Ah," said Ada, when they came to a hall that ended in a metal door. It opened automatically, parting in the middle horizontally. On the other side was a long, white hall with mirrors on either side. "Stop," said Ada. "Let me go first."

She got about halfway down the hall when something snapped and sizzled at the far end. "Ooh," Ada cooed, bending her legs. She jumped and an orange beam passed under her and disappeared in front of Claire's face, who stood just outside the hall. Ada ran now, only this time the beam rose upward. Ada didn't fall for it, and ducked, missing it. She reached the end of the hall by leaping sideways through a pair of beams that spun around each other as though part of a roller.

"That's not an alarm!" Ada shouted. "It's a cutting laser."

Claire's hot skin now felt cold, and she made a shooting gesture at the wall. Ada shook her head, and Claire figured whoever had made the trap would have considered somebody shooting it. Claire swore, and removed her weapons and gear, which she slid down across the long, smooth floor for Ada to reach out and get. Ada was nimble enough to dodge lasers while carrying things, but Claire knew her limitations.

She could hear the pervert chuckling, and he wished her luck when she started her run. The first laser came at her an an awkward height, too low to make ducking the obvious option, but high enough to make her second guess a jump. She went with going completely prone, and let the beam pass over her before getting heavily to her feet and starting off again.

Two beams came at her as two horizontal lines. She was about to leap through them as Ada had, but they turned into an X a few feet in front of her, making her heart leap into her throat. She twisted in the air and fit herself through the triangular gap on the left, landing hard on her bikini-clad rear. She now had a severe wedgie and only wanted to get to safety before the murderous beams sent something impossible at her.

The next attack was another pair, only at first she thought it was one. When they angled to form another X, then came back down again, she was forced to back up. She fully intended to run all the way back, unable to wrap her head around the setup well enough to dodge it in so short a time, but another quick thought came to her...the laser obstacles were only getting harder. It was learning, somehow, or so it seemed.

She darted through the gap on the right and rolled forward as the second beam came up to let her pass. So surprised at the ease of it, she fell the next few steps and ended near Ada's feet. "Makes more sense than a walking statute," she said.

"Yeah," said Claire, getting up and picking her bikini from her butt once more. She waived for the pervert to come over, thinking he likely had some trick up his sleeve to get past it.

"Eh, I'll catch up," he said.

"Hey! Our clothes!" Claire called out.

The pervert produced a bundle from under his coat and tossed it down the long hall. Claire picked it up and found it was their clothing, sans underwear. "Hey!" But the pervert was gone.

"Don't tell me you didn't expect that," Ada said.

"What the heck is he going to do with my underwear?" Claire asked, getting back into her shorts and boots. She threw her vest on over her bikini top, but didn't bother with her shirt, which she tucked into her belt. "What, it's hot in here," she said, seeing Ada smirk at her.

"You're a tease, Claire Redfield," said Ada, slipping to her dress.

Beyond the laser hall was a series of operating rooms and computer banks. Dead Plaga in varying stages of development floated in liquid observation tubes. Claire expected at least one to twitch, but they were all dead. "I think we're getting closer to the removal device," said Ada. "This looks like the kind of place it would be."

They went back into the hall and checked the rooms as they went, meeting no resistance. The hall ended in another large door which was locked. Claire and Ada split up and searched the rooms again until Claire found a card key that opened it. On the other side was a large room where the floor ramped up to a central platform. There a large glass tube was set, and inside, secured to a vertical table was Ashley.

A door opened behind the tube to the left and Claire gritted her teeth at the sight of the purple hood and pale chin jutting from beneath it. Saddler walked in front of the tube and raised his head, revealing his face. He was calm, but his eyes glittered. "So, this is it, then," he said. "I'm going to have to commend you, you've caused quite a bit of damage for a pair of prostitutes."

"And you've been awfully hard to kill for a Jim Jones wannabe with a bad tapeworm problem," said Claire.

Saddler held his hand up and Claire felt her body become rigid. She felt her body moving to point her shotgun at Ada, and while she tried to resist it was like trying to keep from shivering while naked in a snowstorm.

"Sorry," said Ada, and dealt a high kick to the back of Claire's head. The shotgun went off, missing Ada, and Claire went to the floor, stunned.

There was more gunfire, and Claire felt something tug at the magnum on her hip. When it went off, she came to her senses and saw Ada was running towards the tube and working her way behind Saddler, who while not going out of his way to avoid her shots, was covering his head with his hands. Claire got to her feet and ran to the tube where Ashley was and began hitting buttons on a console next to it. The tube slid upward and she felt her body become rigid once more, then suddenly she had control again. She cut Ashley's restraints with her knife and the girl moaned as she came loose into Claire's arms.

Ada was attacking Saddler with a ferocity Claire had never seen. She kept up a barrage of hand to hand and firearm attacks that kept the man focused on her, lest she do serious damage with the magnum. He was aware of what Claire was doing, but couldn't turn his attention from Ada long enough to do anything. Claire used the opportunity to drag the girl down off the platform and through the side door Saddler had come from. Once she was through, she let Ashley slump against the wall and turned back, only to hear a tremendous crashing sound from the other room.

"What the..."

There was a _fwoosh_ noise and the sound of a fire alarm. The door was now hot, and while Claire didn't know what happened, knew she couldn't help Ada now. Ashley moaned again, and was getting to her feet.

"C-Claire," she said, falling to her arms.

"I got you, kiddo," she said. "Come on...yes!"

The room they were in was larger than it looked for all the clutter. Its center piece was what looked like a dentists chair with some kind of torture device suspended over it. -That has to be it,- Claire thought, moving towards the machine.

"You first," Claire said, helping Ashley into the chair. After some looking around she found a clipboard with what looked like a user's manual attached. It was for lab technicians, and Claire had to read it a few times before knowing what to do.

"Switch with me," Claire said. "Let's work out the kinks on me first."

She showed Ashley how to use the machine. Once it was on, the monitor would show an x-ray of the patient's chest. "All you have to do, I think, is put these crosshairs over the bug and push this button."

Ashley nodded, her attention on the sounds of gunfire from the other room. Claire got in the seat and saw Ashley make a face at the monitor. When she hit the button, a beam of light fired from the device above her, into her chest, and it felt like she might explode and vomit at the same time. She cried out, and the beam stopped. "Keep going," Claire said, breathing heavily.

"It worked," Ashley said. "The bug, it...disappeared."

"Ugh. Your turn." She looked at her chest and could see no visible sign of damage. Marveling at how well the device worked, she switched places with Ashley, and felt her skin crawl when she saw the x-ray. The Plaga was larger than she'd anticipated, and she wondered how she hadn't felt it inside her. "Ready?" She hit the button when Ashley nodded and tried not to listen to the girl's cries or the diminishing gunfire from outside the room. She stopped when, as Ashley said it would, the parasite broke up and dissolved, like packing foam under water. -Beats having to pass it some other way,- she thought.

"I don't know where Annette is," said Ashley.

Claire took a deep breath. "Let's just get you out of here," she said. "That's my mission, that's what's important."

Ashley nodded, and they went out through a door in the back.

**To be continued..**


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty-One.**

The sprinkler system had kicked on, drenching the hallways and filling them with noise. Claire resisted the urge to run, knowing she couldn't hear any enemies that might be lurking, but no ganado came to bar their way. Eventually they were free of the sprinklers, and came to the end of a curved service tunnel, where a ladder led up. Ashley touched the first rung, but stopped. "What about Ada?"

"Go, she can handle herself," Claire said, pressing Ashley on.

Claire tried to keep her voice from being sharp, but knew she didn't need more reasons to go back and look for Ada, or Annette. Her mind was taken off the problem briefly by Ashley's backside, which Claire watched as she ascended the ladder. As she climbed, her senses began reporting to her brain double-time, noting the cold, hard, slightly greasy feel of the ladder, the weight of her clothing and guns, and the presence of Ashley's body above her as it moved.

They stopped long enough for Ashley to open the hatch and Claire wondered why she hadn't insisted on going first to check for danger. Her eyes never leaving Ashley, they ascended and were out atop a flat patch of concrete with a mesh fence to one end and a high rock wall on the other. In between was a cliff overlooking the water.

"It's daylight," Ashley said. The moon sat translucent in the white-blue sky, reminding Claire to try her radio.

"Still jammed," she said, resisting the urge to throw it off the cliff. "We never did find the jammer."

"Maybe we can get far enough away," said Ashley, looking past the fence.

In the distance, perhaps a mile or two off, was a metal structure that reminded Claire of an airport control tower. There were windows at the top and blinking green lights, plus a satellite dish. "Let's head towards that thing," said Claire. "I don't know what it is, but it might be useful."

-It's either where the jammer is, or it's something I can use to boost my signal,- she thought. -Maybe I'll just call out on their lines, the message will get where it's going one way or another.-

"Um, Claire," Ashley said, rubbing her forearms.

"What is it now?" Claire asked, surprised at how irritated she sounded.

Ashley seemed to fold, but determined as ever, said what she'd intended. "What's with that outfit?"

Claire looked down, remembering she now only wore a bikini top under her vest. "Oh...We met the pervert again."

Ashley nodded, licking her lips. "Do you...still, feel like doing it?"

"Yes...don't panic, I think maybe it just our hormones out of whack, or something."

"It's not, like, permanent, is it? Do you think?"

Claire wanted to comfort the girl, but that feeling was overridden by the desire to squeeze her, smell her, and taste her. Ashley, like Claire, was soaked from the sprinklers; the white clothes she wore clung to her skin showing off contours and curves. Claire wanted to touch her, so she did. Ashley reciprocated and that broke the floodgate. Claire paused only long enough to shed the clumsy weapons she carried, and pulled Ashley tight, feeling her with her body as well as hands.

Kissing her was like water being thrown on coals, soothing the need as well as urging it on. Ashley's shirt came open and Claire's top was pushed up. Hands slid down the back of her shorts and her buttocks were squeezed. Claire looked around for a place they could lay, and finding none, took Ashley to the ground where they stood.

The concrete was hard and unaccommodating, but Claire's perception had room for Ashley and nothing else. Claire got her shorts off and Ashley's pants down, and was able to position herself on top of Ashley so they could service each other most efficiently. The taste of the girl broke whatever remaining barriers there were, and Claire lived only for the feeling between her legs. The skin being scraped from her bare knees went unnoticed as did every bruise and muscle ache she had.

When she came, she bucked and nearly hit her head on the concrete. Her limited ability to think was enough to keep her tongue where it was needed, and in between her own sounds of pleasure she was able to bring Ashley over as well.

It was over, and Claire rolled of Ashley to lie on her back. Ashley sat up, groaning, and put her shirt back together. Before scooting over to Claire and lying her head on he chest. "Do you think we'll get to do it for real, one more time?"

Claire could only breathe heavily. Ashley wanted to make love, she knew, not have their last time together be compulsive fucking. Claire sat up and removed her vest. She laid it down beneath her and went back on it, nudging Ashley closer to her. "Hand me that shotgun," she said, and Ashley stretched to grab it.

"What are we doing?" Ashley asked.

"I'm hoping Ada will come up that tunnel in a few minutes. If she doesn't, we'll head for that tower. Until then, let's have some us time."

She lie on her side with Ashley resting her head near her chest. It was hard, impossible really, to truly relax knowing she might soon have to shoot something, but at least there wasn't a parasite growing inside her chest anymore.

Enough time went by for the fatigue and injuries to make themselves felt, and Claire thought she'd been quite silly to stop and cuddle. She got herself clothed once more and pulled on her black shirt in time to hear something coming up the ladder.

She leveled her shotgun at the hole and hoped to see Ada's head. She nearly fired at the sight of the purple hood, but the pervert seemed to be whistling to himself.

"I thought I might find ya," he said, not bothering to brush the dust from his coat.

"Oh, hey," Ashley said, giving him a small wave.

"How did you get here?" Claire asked. "Have you seen Ada?"

"I know this island like I know the back of my hand," he said. "And nope, 'fraid not. Somebody tore up that lab good, though. Lotta blood."

Claire was ready to take her chances at shooting him and looting the body, but held off. "Is Saddler dead, then?"

"I'll give you a bit more 'o free information, but then I best start chargin'," he said. "First, yer friend and that Saddler fellow both left that room alive, so don't ye worry. Second, you'll want to be headin' to yonder tower. That's where they're jammin' yer signal from. After that, I'd make my way northward, towards a helicopter platform. 'Bout the only place a bloke can land a whirly bird 'round these parts. Careful, though, there's a camp between here n' there, full of the bastards."

Claire rolled her eyes, but supposed that was at least partially helpful. "Camp?"

"Yeah. What's left of 'em are there. I recommend sneakin' past it."

"How?"

"Dunno," he said, shrugging. "Truth be told, I think you'll die there, so I'm not gonna be able to give more freebies. And don't think yer gonna shoot me, either. You might get a shot off, but it won't put me down before I can shoot back."

Claire felt like she should be offended, but had to admit she'd been thinking of killing him. "Alright, fine," she said. "I'm done trying to make sense of you, so here it is. I need bullets for the guns I have and a way of getting past this camp you say will be the death of me."

"That's a tall order. I'm gonna need some kinky stuff, if you're up for it."

She looked at Ashley, who was nodding slowly. "I'm up for it."

"Heh, heh, alright then," the pervert said, and reached into his coat.

Claire felt herself becoming horny again as she pulled the dildo out of Ashley and held it up, making a show of licking it clean, before sliding it between her own legs. It was about ten inches long, bright orange, with nubs up and down the length. Claire looked at the pervert's camera as she held it up again and licked it, before putting it back into Ashley, who writhed.

They were on a thick blanket and had been able to put some of Umbrella Incs. First Aid Spray on their cuts and bruises. This stuff even had a pleasant odor, like those strange red and green herbs Claire had been taught to mix during her training.

With the pain gone and the immediate threat of turning into a mindless slave removed, Claire found herself enjoying her current activity. In the back of her mind she was all but certain her image would end up on the Internet, but after each orgasm, the pervert pulled out either a box of bullets or some other useful item and set it on a stand he'd folded out.

Claire looked at the pile now and again and only wished Ada or even Annette would come along to pick up another gun or carry some bullets or grenades. She began to wonder again how the pervert carried all his hardware, but Ashley was coming again and it demanded her attention. She caressed the girl's stomach with her free hand while working the dildo steadily with the other, stoking the orgasm for as long as it would go. Her hand slid up to Ashley's breasts and cupped one, playing lightly with the nipple.

After a while they switched, only Ashley made use of a strap-on that went with the orange dildo they'd been using. Claire positioned her leg over Ashley's shoulder and let her thrust. She played with her own breasts while Ashley's free hand massaged Claire's clitoris. She put only marginal care into being quiet, depending on the pervert to be alert for danger in between checking his cameras.

She came twice before she heard her radio crackle to life. She'd left it on.

"Ms. Redfield, are you alive?" came Saddler's voice. "I certainly hope so, as searching for your corpse would be onerous."

"Crap, I have to take that," Claire said.

The pervert handed her the radio, but motioned for Ashley to keep thrusting. Claire wiggled the radio so the pervert could see it, and he responded by pulling out a large, .44 magnum, this one a semi-automatic, magazine fed monstrosity. He held it in one hand and made a twirling gesture with the other, as if it were a game show prize.

Claire nodded at Ashley, who went back to her thrusts.

"I'm going to be a lot more than onerous," said Claire, to the radio.

"Ah! So you do live. Excellent, excellent. I trust Ashley is safe with you?"

"She's on a...chopper headed for a U.S. Air-force base," said Claire, feeling an orgasm build.

"How you lie," said Saddler. "The only person you can call on your little radio is me, and I have ways of knowing about inbound flights."

Claire took a deep breath, which Ashley took as a sign to slow her thrusting. This had the opposite effect, and Claire squirmed. "I..what do you want?" she said, her voice unnaturally high.

Saddler laughed. "I can tell you are wounded, badly. I can put an end to your pain if you come to the platform on the north end of the island. Bring the girl. I will tell my ganado to let you pass."

"I can show myself out, thanks," Claire said, letting her words be slurred by surges of pleasure from Ashley.

"I wonder what you did to yourself," said Saddler. "Burns, most likely. Those are quite painful, as I'm sure your ally can attest."

"Where's Ada?" Claire asked. "She'd better be alright, or..."

"Your little friend escaped me, but my minion Krauser has been instructed not to rest until she locates her...or you, if by chance. I can assure you, should Krauser find either one of you, there will be no mercy."

"Fine," said Claire, feeling herself about to come. She shook her head and held the radio up once more. "But I'm coming to kill you."

She shut the radio off and let out a scream as a wave of pleasure ran through her, making her shake and tingle.

"Heh, heh, nice," said the pervert. "I think we can call it good for now."

The women put their clothes back on and Claire set to finding room for the bullets she'd bought. The pervert threw in a few pouches which slipped over the butt-stocks of the long range weapons, and between them Claire was able to find room for the ammunition.

"You can take this," Claire said, handing the rifle over to Ashley along with the ammunition. "Remember how to use it?"

She nodded.

"Good. You follow behind me a few steps. I'll tell you when to shoot."

"Good luck," said the pervert, as they made their way towards the fence, where a path sloped downward, towards the distant tower.

**To be continued...**


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty-Two.**

Ada fell into the elevator and dove to hit the button. The doors began to close, allowing her to see down the catwalk long enough for Krauser to come into view. Krauser fired her machine gun at the door, was too far away for the shots to be accurate, and the bullets tore through the mesh screen above Ada's head.

"Good, waste your damn bullets," Ada hissed as the elevator rose.

It went up slowly, allowing Ada some time to lie on her back and think. Her body was one, aching sore, especially her right side. Her arm was red from being singed in the fight with Saddler, and some ribs had been broken by a kick from Krauser, where she'd been to slow to dodge. She was bleeding and bruised from a number of other wounds, and was low on ammo. Getting away from Saddler, then Krauser, had drained her badly, and now she found herself hoping Claire would come to her rescue.

-Waiting for Claire to save you, Ada you _are_ in trouble,- she thought, smiling.

Cursing, she got to her feet and took the Plaga sample from her belt pouch. She tried to think of where she might hide the sample so Krauser wouldn't find it. Her vagina and anus were her first two ideas, which she nixed. "Krauser will look there, where she thinks I'm hiding something or not," Ada said to herself. "Guess we'll see what's up top, then."

When the elevator came to a stop and Ada stepped out, moving slowly despite her brief rest. The room was sparsely furnished, but seemed larger because of the big windows that surrounded it. She took the sample and put it in a desk, under some papers, then hid behind filing cabinets.

The elevator was called back down, and Ada waited, her machine gun pointed at the door. After a few long minutes, the glass behind her smashed, and she turned too late to avoid a kick from Krauser that hit her in the burnt arm and sent her machine gun clattering over the floor.

Another kick to her wound, and she screamed. Krauser picked her up by the hair and punched her twice over the kidneys, taking the will to fight out of her and leaving her to flop on the floor. Krauser frisked her, removing her weapons and grappling gun. "Where is it?" Krauser asked, standing up and putting her boot down on Ada's stomach.

"Where's what?"

The boot came down again over her intestines and pressed down. Ada made a strangled cry and heard Krauser draw her knife. "The sample. Tell me where it is now and I'll just cut your throat and let you bleed out in peace. Play tough and I'll break you."

"All you have to do, Krauser, is transfer five million dollars to my Swiss bank account, and I'll...urk."

The toe of Krauser's boot was pressing into her. She tried to push her off, but didn't have the strength. When Krauser began kicking her, Ada considered telling her where the sample was. -No, she'll kill you once she has it. See how this plays out...hang...on..."

None of the blows found her head, as Krauser knew what she was doing and aimed only for soft or wounded spots on her body. When it was over she was again lifted by the hair and dragged over to a table where she was flopped up on it. Krauser's knife cut open her dress and removed the bikini top she'd been wearing underneath. Fingers probed her vagina, spreading her open and making her grasp. She let out a small shriek when the fingers entered her anus.

"So, where is it then?" Krauser asked. "Did you throw it in the ocean?"

"I sold it to a seagull for a fish," Ada said, earning Krauser's hand clamped over her burned arm. She screamed and writhed, and swatting at Krauser but to no avail. "I'm going to kill you, Krauser," she said.

Krauser sucked her fingers and jammed them roughly into Ada's vagina, working her back and forth. "No, you're not," she said. "I think I'll keep you alive, Wong. I'll have Saddler infect you, and with the power he's given me, once it's all mine, I'll make you my dog. How's that sound?"

"Shitty," said Ada.

"I don't know, Wong, I think you like it. I can feel you getting wet. This is how you like it, right? Rough?"

Ada turned her head away, letting Krauser think she'd scored a point. There was a smile on Ada's face, however, one that might be mistaken for a grimace by those who didn't know her well. Krauser's rough fingers did feel good, and she was getting wet. The pain she felt, once she focused on it, was a warm, glowing sensation, and the feeling of helplessness and despair that was now on her was like a blanket with fingers, reach places deep inside her that rarely got touched.

She liked it.

-Play away, bitch,- Ada thought. -Have your fun, let me get my strength back, think of a plan...-

Krauser pulled her fingers out and rolled Ada onto her stomach. She was strong enough to bend Ada like a doll with little effort, and Ada felt her knees pulled under her, and her hands bound behind her, under her buttocks. Her ankles followed, and now Ada did begin to truly wonder how she'd been getting out of this.

-Maybe I won't,- she thought. -Well, you play with fire long enough, you get burned.-

Krauser got on the table with Ada and knelt behind her, thrusting the cock she sported into Ada's vagina. She was rough, ramming into Ada while squeezing her ass enough to leave finger-shaped bruises. Ada cried out, not feeling like she had to pretend it didn't hurt.

"Anytime you want this to stop, tell where the sample is," said Krauser.

"Never," said Ada. "Fuck me harder!"

Krauser did as she was asked, filling the room with loud slapping sounds as their hips connected. Ada screamed under each thrust, feeling herself come beneath the agony. Krauser grunted, gripping Ada's ass harder as fluid dripped from between them onto the table.

She felt Krauser sag a bit. "Spent so soon? That big mutant cock is wasted on you, Krauser. Maybe in another universe you'll be born with a real one and know how to...eek!"

The slap across her buttock echoed in the room and Krauser began thrusting harder than before. The table shook and Ada thought it might break. "Well, well, well," Krauser said, slowing her ramming and lifting her body higher to peer at something. "Looks like Redfield and the girl are on their way here. Think I got time to nail you in the ass before they get here?"

Ada had to choose her words carefully, quickly. "No, don't," she said, and grunted when Krauser's cock slipped from her vagina to anus. Ada felt it spread her open, making her clench around it. She had no control, however, and Krauser thrust harder than ever, cursing as she came.

She pulled out and delivered a powerful slap to Ada's backside, making her cry out. "Don't worry, slut. If you're not killed in the crossfire, there'll be more for you. Last chance, tell me where the sample is and I'll kill your friend quick."

She almost said "The desk by the elevator," but held her tongue. -Hope I don't regret it,- she thought.

**To be continued...**


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty-Three.**

"Wow, it's higher than I thought," Ashley said as they went down the long walkway towards the tower.

"Maybe we can see what's waiting for us up ahead if we climb it," Claire said, reaching the base of the tower and pushing the call button on the elevator.

"Who would want to take the stairs?" Ashley asked, pointing to a set of metal steps that were partially concealed off to the side and ran all the way up the tower.

"A crazy person. Dunno, depends on how good the elevator is."

"Kinda slow," said Ashley, and Claire had to agree as her neck began to hurt from looking up. When the elevator arrived Claire almost didn't see the holes in the mesh part of the door before they opened. Once she saw them, she noticed other things, like the small smear of blood on the elevator's floor. When Claire looked back, she noted the spent bullet casings on the ground.

"What is it?" asked Ashley, waiting for Claire to step on the elevator.

"Something's wrong," said Claire. "Okay...I'm going to go up those stairs. When you see me get halfway up, go into the elevator and push the button for the top, then get off. Wait down here, and if trouble comes, go up the stairs as fast as you can, got it?"

Ashley nodded, clearly not liking the idea of being left alone.

Claire began her trek upward and picked up the pace when she heard the elevator move. She slowed down near the top, wanting to remain quiet. The stairs led out into a walkway that surrounded the cabin at the top of the tower, and Claire peered into one of the windows.

She ducked immediately when she saw what was inside.

Krauser was crouched off to the side of the elevator, knife in hand. Krauser been looking to her right, across the room, and hadn't seen Claire, who risked another peek. It was hard to pull her back down after seeing Ada's nude form trussed up and set on a table. Her body was sleek with sweat and blood, and she looked like she'd taken a severe beating.

Claire drew the big magnum and moved around so she could shoot Krauser in the back when the elevator opened. Moving into position, she listened for the elevator, and when she heard the doors open, she waited a second, letting Krauser make her move.

Then Ashley screamed.

-You've got to be joking,- Claire thought, keeping crouched, no longer sure if Krauser wouldn't kill Ashley.

Ashley's rifle discharged and the window near Claire shattered. There was the sound of a scuffle and Claire took the chance to leap over the previously broken window into the room, where she crouched low, behind a desk.

There was the sound of flesh smacking against flesh, and a slumping to the floor. "Where's the other one?" Krauser asked. "Tell me, or I'm cutting your damn nose off. I'm tired of screwing around."

"D-down there, with the monster!" Ashley shouted. "It's coming!"

Claire could hear Krauser hitting the girl and decided it was time. She stood from cover and Krauser had her hand raised to deal Ashley another blow.

"Bitch!" Claire shouted, making Krauser turn. Krauser moved in time to avoid having her head blown off, but instead the bullet severed her arm at the elbow. The appendage fell to the ground and blood ran down Krauser's side as she staggered away. Claire fired twice more, the recoil of the magnum making it feel like her hands were breaking. Krauser had two gaping holes in her torso and she slumped against the wall, her head drooping down.

"Damn it, why the hell didn't you listen!?" Claire shouted at Ashley, who recoiled for a moment before glaring.

"Because there's a God damn monster downstairs!" she shrieked.

Claire felt the tower shake.

"Little help..." said Ada, and Claire ran to her, cutting her bonds with her knife.

"Ada, Jesus, what did she do to you?"

"We can tell Penthouse later. Get me my gear and lets get out of here before whatever that is makes its way up."

It hurt Ada to stand and walk, but she was soon outfitted once again with her weapons and gun belt. She tied the tattered remains of her dress around her waist and limped with Claire to the elevator with Ashley. "Wait, hang on," said Ada, stumbling towards a desk, which she began to riffle through.

The windows overlooking the catwalk smashed in, and Claire saw a pair of gray mandibles coming together, latching into a beam and pulling what she imagined to be a huge worm up and through the gap. It wasn't a worm, however, but a man's torso. A giant man, whose lower face was nothing but a long, twisting tongue. One of its arms was misshapen, more of a thick tendril, and it too helped haul the rest of it up.

The body was grub-like, ash she'd imagined, but it was propelled by four, three-toed, clawed feet. The mandibles grew off a stalk protruding from the creature's back.

"Ada, let's go!" Claire shouted, moving to pull her to the elevator, whether she liked it or not. They were nearly to the elevator door when something hit them from the side, bowling them both over as the other half of the room was being demolished.

Krauser was on top of Ada, holding her down with her arm and squeezing her throat. From the stump where her other appendage had been, something was wiggling out, like a worm. It grew longer, thicker, and began to take the shape of a curved blade.

Ada fired her grappling gun at the big monster, the got up to move around in back of Krauser. She wrapped the gun end of the line around Krauser's throat and ducked a jab from the blade-arm as she finished tangling Krauser, who was soon pulled off Claire and towards the monster.

They were finally in the elevator, and Ashley hit the button that made the doors close and the box descend.

"That was Krauser!" Ashley shouted. "I thought she died...she found Annette and me in the furnace room and got attacked by a monster."

Claire was not entirely sure who she wanted to win the fight between the thing and Krauser, but something else had her attention now. "Ada, what's in that tube?" she asked.

Ada held the tube up, showing Claire. "Business. Are you going to try and take it from me?"

"We can thumb wrestle for it later," Claire said.

"Sounds like a date," Ada said, letting her head rest against the back of the elevator.

**To be continued...**


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty-Four.**

They got clear of the communication tower before Claire attempted to use the radio. When Hunnigan's voice came through the speaker, Claire shouted in triumph.

"Claire! What's happening, report!" Hunnigan said.

"I've secured the president's daughter and I'm requesting immediate evac," Claire said, then explained as best she could where they were and where they were headed. "Any support you could send would be great, we're not out of the hot zone yet."

It was clear from her tone that Hunnigan had hours worth of questions, but she didn't ask them. "Alright, we're sending a chopper to the LZ you described. Keep us informed."

"Will do," said Claire.

Claire looked at Ada and Ashley as they stood waiting for her cue. Ada seemed like she could use a few day's rest, perhaps more than a few, while Ashley looked about the same. -The parasites are out, we're not dead...- "We can do this," she said.

"Who said we couldn't?" replied Ada. "We've been in bigger trouble."

Claire thanked Ada with a smile after seeing that Ashley took comfort from her words. "I don't know what's going to happen, so I want you to hang back, and when the chopper comes, get on it. Don't wait for us, whatever happens. Understand?"

Ashley nodded, but Claire doubted the girl would leave without her.

They made their way through ravines that had been worn in the rock by years of running water, leaving rough, porous rocks. Claire anticipated traps, but found none, nor where there any ganado to bar their path.

"Saddler wants to end this at the platform," said Ada. "I think he knows that's the only place a chopper can set down easily, and he doesn't want the girl killed on accident."

"He must have heard us over the radio, too," said Claire. "Or do you think that tower was where all his comm equipment was?"

"It doesn't change what we have to do, either way," said Ada.

The ravine widened out into a sandy hill that led up to a ramshackle guard tower. The wall fencing off the exit of the ravine was made from car frames and construction debris, but the makeshift gate lie open. Atop the tower was a ganado wearing a red bandana, who took it off and waived it when he saw them. He shouted something that might have been Spanish, but was warped in such a way that it didn't sound human.

A dozen ganado came running out the door, slowing down as they moved towards the women. Behind them were more ganado. A few looked like they were from the village, but most were dressed in ragged clothing suggesting they had been prisoners or dock workers. Each carried a heavy tool, club, or blade.

"Guess Saddler was lying about letting us through," said Claire, the good feeling she'd had early now gone.

"We'll need to make our shots count," said Ada.

Claire knew they could wipe out a lot of ganado, but if they all rushed at once there was no way they'd be able to pick their shots. She was about to call for them to retreat into the ravines to create a choke point when she heard the deep drone of a helicopter. "That's our ride," Claire said. "Fall back, maybe there's a way around or somewhere it can lower a rope."

Her radio came to life and a man's voice she'd never heard before came through. "Ladies...looks like you could use a little help down there." The chopper was above them now, and Claire could see it was an old-style Huey. The side door slid open and the mini-gun whirred, pouring sheets of lead into the crowd of ganado.

"Ooh," Ada said, nudging Claire's shoulder. Ashley made a gasping, retch noise at the sight of the gun's work. Claire was impressed, but didn't particularly care for the sight of people being turned to hamburger a dozen yards away. The mini-gun paused long enough to let an other group of ganado rush out from behind the fence, then shredded them.

"Let us clear this out, and we'll meet you at the platform," said the voice over the radio.

"Can't they get us now?" asked Ashley.

"That's not a rescue chopper," said Claire. "It doesn't have the hoisting equipment to get you up safe. Someone thought it was better to send a gunship. Come on!"

They ran up the hill, over the bodies of ganado. The parasites that controlled them had not survived and Claire tried not to think about the men they'd been. It was slow going over the corpses, but they gained the camp easily enough. Claire used her pistol to kill the few stragglers the chopper had missed, while it whirred above them, firing its mini-gun as well as rockets from the front.

Past the camp was another ravine that had been widened it into a road. It sloped upward, and at the top was the spot they'd been seeking. A metal deck was being built from the cliff side out over the ocean. Whatever it was supposed to be, it wasn't complete, as a handful of scaffolds stood around metal frames. To one side was a crane holding a bundle of girders.

They walked out onto the platform and waited for the chopper to circle around. It was over the water when an arrow _thumped_ into the front end, stuck for a moment, then exploded. Claire watched the vehicle drop, taking the men inside to the rocks bellow and out of sight.

"Well, shit," said Ada.

Krauser stepped out from behind a scaffold. Her shirt and pants were torn, her arm back to normal, and she carried a bow. Covered in blood and viscera, Claire could only see her wide eyes, glaring at them with hate. "Looks like you're flight's been canceled," she said.

"Looks like you'll...be refunding our tickets, then," Claire said.

"Tsk, tsk," said Saddler as he also stepped out from behind the scaffold. "I thought American's were supposed to be full of one-liners."

"You _are_ kinda bad at it," Ada said, under her breath.

"Yeah, well I'm real good at killing Los Illuminados. How many are left, Saddler? Mendez, Salazar, just about all the ganado...I think I even got Krauser there to bump off the ugliest one for me, next to you of course."

Saddler laughed. "You won't be killing anymore of us, that I assure you. This ends here, you see. _You_ end here, no matter what. Even if poor Ashley doesn't survive, you will pay for what you've done!"

Claire didn't know whether to feel good about having angered Saddler or afraid. She knew fighting him was going to be tough, and had not expected to have to handle Krauser, too.

"Let me kill them," Krauser said, nocking another arrow. "I want to...urk."

Something flesh colored and pale was sticking between Krauser's breasts, dripping with her blood. It lifted her off her feet and Claire could see it trailed out from beneath Saddler's robe. "I can handle them. Thank you for shooting down the helicopter, Krauser, but your usefulness to me is at an end. You should know I was aware of your double agent status the entire time. When you see them in hell, tell those fools Alexia Ashford and Albert Wesker that their dreams were simply not meant to be."

The tentacle tossed Krauser backward and her flailing body disappeared over the edge of the platform. Saddler pulled back his hood, showing his gray streaked hair that had been combed backward. "You, woman," he said to Ada. "You have something that belongs to me. Hand it over and I will kill you quickly. You won't have to see what I do to this one."

"Enough of your bullshit," Claire said, drawing her magnum and firing. It hit Saddler in the head, above the left eye, and removed that portion of his skull. He snarled, and opened his mouth, wide, showing her a massive eyeball pushing its way up his throat, peeling open his jaw.

Out from under his collar flowed more tendrils like the one that stabbed Krauser. They popped and broke, forming new, spider-leg appendages that lifted Saddler off his feet while his neck tore open and was lifted up and away by a long, thick tentacle.

"Ashley, run!" Claire said, firing her magnum into the thing's center, hoping to hit something vital on the creature, which was reminding her of a G-virus mutant as it continued to change. What had been Saddler's head was now surrounded by three mandibles, the eye rolling around seeking target for them. The thing moved on four stilt-like legs, trailing Saddler's body and slithering tentacles bellow it.

"Move around, make it chase one of us," shouted Ada, as she ran.

It went after Ada, and Claire was careful to pick her shots in case they missed and went past the beast. Ashley scurried over to the edge of the platform and rested her rifle over a barrel. -Just don't shoot one of us,- Claire thought, as she tried to think of a way to kill the Saddler monster. Her shots were finding their marks, but the thing was not slowing down.

Ada ran behind one of the smaller scaffolds and Saddler swatted it aside. Ada wasn't moving as fast as she normally could, and the monster was gaining ground on her, even as Claire fired at its legs.

There was a cracking sound from Ashley's rifle and something at the top of one of the legs exploded. -A soft spot...and she hit it!- Claire thought, glancing over to see Ashley where she had been. The monster staggered and turned in that direction, showing its flank to Claire who was refreshing the magazine on the magnum.

The leg Ashley had hit was moving again, and Claire looked to the other to try and see what Ashley had aimed at. She saw it quick enough, it was a great yellow eye that when closed couldn't be distinguished from the chitinous hide. It saw her and she fired, destroying it and causing Saddler to stumble.

His head wheeled around towards her and the body went with it. Tendrils snaked towards her legs as the head moved like a pendulum, sweeping closer. Rather than fight, she ran, hoping it would bide Ada time to rest and come up with a plan to kill the thing.

She ran towards the crane, not sure how that would help her but there was nowhere else to go. Claire went beneath the load of girders it held aloft, and got her idea when she reached the crane cab. Saddler was coming at her in a straight line at a steady pace, so she took aim at the cable that held the girders, waited until he was beneath them, and fired. The shot was true, the cable broke, and the girders came down in the center of the thing's back, knocking it to the ground.

She emptied the magnum's magazine into the monster and felt her wrists burn and ears ring. She could see where the powerful bullets had left wounds, but the monster only lashed out and tried to gain leverage to heave the girders pinning it down.

Running around it, she met Ada halfway. "We can't kill it like this," Ada said, panting. "We should run."

"Where? If that thing can go over rocks, it'll get us in the ravine where we can't duck it."

"Allow me," said Ashley, and they both turned.

She was completely nude and carrying a rocket propelled grenade launcher. Claire felt her jaw come open, and Ashley nodded towards where she'd been standing. The pervert was there, holding a camera and making a thumbs-up gesture. Ashley stepped between the two women and aimed the launcher at Saddler, who had thrown off the girders holding him down and was turning around. When he completed the turn, he began stepping towards them.

"Um...it won't shoot," Ashley said, a note of panic in her voice. Claire reached out and flipped a switch on the launcher's side, above the trigger. Ashley thanked her and fired. The rocket sped towards Saddler and for a brief moment Claire imagined it missing, but it didn't. It hit his center where it disappeared for a second prior to exploding, sending Saddler's various limbs in different directions.

Ada slapped Ashley hard on the buttocks. "Nice shot," she said.

"Ow...thanks."

Claire slapped her on the other cheek and smiled when she turned. "Way to go. We'd be in a lot of trouble if you had missed."

"That was tops," said the pervert, now close by. He handed Ashley her clothes and she got dressed quickly. "Can't tell ye how long I been waitin' for someone to off that bloke. He was horrible fer business."

Claire sensed it was time to tell the pervert what she thought of him and his business, but the sound of another helicopter took her mind off it. They saw the chopper was coming towards them from the sea, and as it drew closer, Claire noticed Ada was fidgeting. "Your ride?" Claire asked.

Ada nodded. "We don't have to do this, you know," she said.

"I can't let you give that sample to whoever you're working for," Claire said.

"Better the United State's has it, right? I'm sure they won't misuse it."

"Better nobody has it," Claire said. "Let me destroy it. Or do you want what happened here to happen somewhere else?"

"You don't know as much as you think you do, Claire," Ada said, her voice sharp. "You're not completely out of the woods yet, so don't hurt yourself needlessly."

"We had a deal," Claire said, divesting herself of her weapons. "Give me the sample, last warning."

Ashley stepped back, moving behind the pervert, who was filming again.

"We did have a deal," Ada said, removing a pair of sunglasses from her pocket. One of the frames was missing, and she toyed with them a moment before tossing them to Claire, who caught them. She had time to look at them, see they were nothing ordinary, before they exploded in a flash of light that made Claire stagger. She felt something hit her, sending her to the ground. She scrambled to her feet, seeing nothing but white, and having lost her sense of place shouted at Ada.

The noise from the helicopter was loud, removing Claire's remaining sense. "Ashley!" she shouted, fearing the girl would be taken again, this time by God only knew who. She felt soft hands on her shoulders and knew they were Ashley's. They held her until the sound of the chopper died down and her vision returned, leaving a green spot in the middle of everything she tried to look at.

"Did you film who she left with?" Claire asked the pervert.

"Yeah. Wanna see it?"

Claire growled, and the pervert held up his hands. "Alright, alright. I'm not completely heartless, here, take a look."

Claire blinked and shook her head, willing the spot in her vision to clear. It didn't, but she was able to see using her peripheral vision Ada running towards the helicopter, which had hovered a few feet above the platform, allowing her to jump on. A lithe figure in black helped her aboard, and Claire could see flowing black hair. No one she knew.

"Come on, Claire, we're alive, we beat the bad guy...we're together."

"Heh, heh," laughed the pervert. "Eh, you might want to know this whole islands going to blow up any minute now."

"Say what?" Claire asked, blinking hard in an effort to get the green spot to leave.

"That old boy had a pacemaker type thing wired to him so when he died it would trigger a countdown. There's enough explosive under our feet to send this entire place to the moon."

"How do we get off?" Claire asked. "And don't ask us to do weird sex things, you need to get out, too."

"True, true," he said. "Follow me, I know a way."

They went with him to the other end of the platform where an elevator like the one that had been in the communication tower took them down a shaft into the rock. "Is there a boat, or something?" Claire asked.

"That's what I'm hopin'," said the pervert, as the elevator shook. "Looks like it's started...not much time now."

Claire assumed the other end of the island was being destroyed, that being where the Plaga research was conducted. She wondered what happened to Annette, but kept quiet, not wanting to upset Ashley. "How are your eyes?" Ashley asked. "I was blind for a bit, but I didn't get it right in the face like you did."

The green spot was still at the center of Claire's vision, making her able to do little more than find her way around. The elevator shook from a powerful tremor, and she grabbed Ashley's shoulder. "Not good," she said. "It's nothing permanent, but I'm not much use right now."

When their ride ended, Ashley led Claire off the elevator. They were in a cavern lit by flickering bulbs. Claire could hear water and make out a pair of jet skis. The pervert tapped Claire on the shoulder and handed her a business card. "If this riskin' life n' limb gig don't work out, look me up, I may have some business opportunities for ye."

"Yeah, whatever," Claire said.

The pervert jumped onto one of the jet skis and sped off down a channel. The cavern began to shake violently and she heard the sound of rocks splashing into water. "Climb on!" Ashley shouted, jumping onto the remaining jet ski and starting it. Claire had never been on a jet ski and as she couldn't see, didn't argue. She gripped Ashley's hips tight and nearly fell off the back. The rifle and shotgun she let slip from her shoulders.

Claire could see well enough to know the channel they were speeding down was collapsing. Ashley had clearly used a jet ski before and dodged falling rocks and other debris that would end them. A few times Claire felt herself showered in dirt and larger rocks, but Ashley was able to keep ahead of the collapse and slip under it when it got in front of them. Claire held on and gritted her teeth, trusting Ashley to save them. She cheered when she saw a white light through her spotty vision and after the jet ski scraped something, they went airborne.

She nearly fell off the jet ski when it hit the water, and her teeth came together hard. Suddenly they were pushed forward by a wave caused by the falling rocks behind them. Ashley ran the motor and kept them in control, circling back to face the ruined island as the waves made them move up and down.

"Good work, kiddo," Claire said. "You killed the bad guy and made the escape."

"Did I get the girl?"

Claire touched the back of Ashley's neck, then kissed it. "Yeah, you got the girl, too."

Her radio was wet, but it was designed to survive partial submersion. Claire held it up and pushed the talk button only to have it grabbed and thrown in the ocean.

Ashley turned around on the jet ski, one leg moving over Claire's lap settling back down. "They know we're somewhere around here, they'll find us. Eventually," said Ashley, and kissed Claire before she could speak.

**To be continued...**


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty-Five.**

**Epilogue.**

Jacqueline Krauser drew short, haggard breaths, spitting out sand and saltwater as her head cleared and vision returned. Her entire body felt like an exposed nerve. Saddler's attack had torn key support muscles in her torso, and while they were on their way to healing it would be some time yet before she felt alright again. She crawled up the beach using the strength left in her arms and found a rock to splay herself on. Naked from the waist up she tried not to think on her condition lest rage overtake her and slow the healing process.

Krauser knew Saddler was dead. The parasite inside her body had felt the lost connection between them immediately and at first it was sick with panic, but given that it's host was near death it overcame the loss and now seemed calm and content, unlike Krauser herself.

-Shit,- Krauser thought. -Wesker will want to use me for the sample now. Guess I can't go back to him, not if I want to live.-

Rage flared in her breast, sending pain throughout her body. The power she wielded was immense but the kind of power she wielded and the sort needed to take control of the world were not one and the same.

A shadow fell over her, and she could not see who it belonged to. Fingers gripper her short hair and hoisted her up so a fist could strike her in the chest where she had been wounded. The blow sapped the fight from her and she was dropped to her knees and kicked.

"Wesker..." she spat.

"No, not Wesker," said Annette Birkin. "Just someone who owes you a little payback."

Krauser felt her fatigues torn and ripped down before something long and hard was jammed into her from behind. She squirmed, trying to crawl away, but the blood loss and the swim to shore had taxed her considerable strength to its limit. The parasite inside her sensed another of its kind nearby and began to writhe. Krauser grunted, aware that some sort of power struggle was occurring and she and her parasite were losing.

Annette gripped her buttocks tight and Krauser felt her come. The fluid filled her up and leaked out as the cock pulled back to enter her anus. Krauser grunted and fell forward, unable to fight back. She felt her rage in her go quiet along with the thrashing of her parasite. When Annette finished for the second time she let Krauser fall flat on the ground then rolled her onto her back using a foot.

Annette wore nothing but a ruined lab coat. The dripping cock receded into her, leaving only a thin slit above the pink cleft between her legs. "Can you walk?" Annette asked. "Crawl, if you can't."

"I can't move," said Krauser. "What do you want with me?"

"I want lots of things from you, and from the world," said Annette. "We're two of a kind now, Krauser. Can't you feel it? You're going to serve me the same way you served Saddler, but hopefully with a little more loyalty."

Krauser's head was pounding and she rubbed her temples while avoiding eye contact with Annette. Her parasite saw Annette the same way it had seen Saddler. It wasn't fair, Krauser thought, but then again, what in this world ever was? "We need to get out of here," Krauser said, managing to sit up with Annette's help.

"We do, but we need a few things first." Her cock slid out of her, glistening with fluid. "Suck it."

Krauser did as she was told, and took Annette into her mouth, moving her tongue over the sensitive part of the cock while working the rest with her hand. Annette did not try to hold out, and soon a wash of fluid filled Krauser's mouth. "Swallow," said Annette. "All of it."

Krauser gulped it down and felt some of her strength return and she was able to stand. "Alright, lead the way. Before the BSAA or the Americans come."

XXX

"Sending fools to do your work makes you a fool," said Alexia Ashford. She stood in front of a series of beakers, each one a different shade of yellow. She wore a white dress that was kept tight to her body by hoops. The collar made it look Victorian, but the rubber gloves threw the image off.

Wesker didn't like being called a fool, but from Alexia he would have to tolerate it. It was a difficulty he'd anticipated in deciding to work with her. "We'll simply have to obtain a Plaga sample from its new owners," said Wesker. "This is a job I can preform, as the level of talent in this organization has dwindled."

"See that you do," Alexia said. "It's unfortunate I had to be in a coma for fifteen years while Umbrella destroyed itself. It seems I underestimated the power of incompetence, as have you. Now instead of trying to steal something from a pathetic cult you'll have to deal with people who are far more capable."

Wesker thought he might like to cave Alexia's head in but attacking her would lead to the destruction of the compound they were in and set him back years. He was close to his goal, and all he needed now was the Plaga sample. "Well, no time to waste, then," he said, and left.

XXX

"I'm not a lesbian, Chris," Claire said. She and her brother were in the mess hall of an army base somewhere in Nevada, world away from where she'd been not so long ago. Claire had a Styrofoam cup half full of warm cocoa and wore a white outfit that had more in common with paper than cloth. She had been told several times by people she didn't know that she was not a prisoner, but neither could she leave. Her brother sat across from her with dark rings under his eyes. It had been nearly a week since the Plaga incident, and she wondered what was still keeping him up at night.

"It's not that you're a lesbian," he said. "It's who you're a lesbian with. An enemy spy, the president's daughter..."

"I'm not a lesbian," she said. "And I thought you knew about me and Ashley."

"I thought you were close, I didn't think...you know what, that part of you life is none of my business. I'm only mad because you've let personal feelings interfere with work. You can't let that happen, otherwise..."

"Otherwise what? Everything turns out fine?" she knew her words were foolish the moment she had spoken them. Everything had not turned out fine.

"Fine? Nothing is fine, Claire. That Plaga sample getting taken was the worst thing that could have happened." He looked around the mess hall before lowering his voice. "Honestly, if we knew what had been at stake we would have sent a team in to recover the sample, Ashley Graham be damned. No offense."

"Yeah, well..."

"Yeah, well, you should've shot that Ada woman in the back if that's what was necessary. She played you like a fiddle."

"She's the only reason we're alive," Claire said, now angry. "Sorry, Chris, we can't all be super heroes."

His hands and teeth clenched, but he relaxed, looking more tired than ever before. "I'm sorry. It's just that with these bioweapons it seems like a genie has been let out of a bottle. I, we, keep stuffing it back in but each time it comes out it's a little bit worse. I'm afraid each incident is going to be the last, and now that you're involved..."

"Chris," she said, grabbing his hand across the table. "This is everybody's problem. There isn't some world I can go back to where this isn't happening. I can't go have a normal life, there isn't one to have. It's just this. All there is is for me to stay and fight. I can't ask you not to worry, I worry about you, but just get over the fact that I'm a part of this."

"Yeah, I know, it's just...well, anyway, I think they're going to let you out of here pretty soon they just want to make sure you're not a Plaga carrier. No one's too sure how the things work; the explosion destroyed a lot of Saddler's research."

"Birkin, what about her?"

"The search team found no sign of her and the fire bombing will make sure no one ever does."

"And Krauser?"

"No sign of Krauser so I wouldn't assume she's dead. You made yourself a fine enemy, there."

"What about my job prospects?"

"That's up to your bosses. I'm with the BSAA, remember? I guess it depends on what the media finds out about you and Ashley. So far there's been no word she was kidnapped but rumors have been flying. I think the Graham administration is hoping the outlandishness of what went down will keep it hidden. Who would believe it if they hadn't seen it?"

"Do you think I'll see her again...?" Claire said, looking into her cocoa cup and swishing it.

"I think that'll be up to her so you probably know the answer to that better than me."

Claire drained the rest of her cocoa, smiling at the memory of her and Ashley on the jet ski.

**End.**

**Author's note: **For those of you still interested in this series, I'm a little less than half done the sequel, which uses Resident Evil 5 as it's basis. Expect less chapters, but expect them to be longer. Expect a new gal pal for Claire with Ada mucking it all up. Expect less Femme Krauser. And to apologize for the long delay between updates, here is the prologue to Women in Red 4.

**Prologue. **

A wire mesh fence, glittering in the sunlight from recent rain, wound its way around a sagging rectangular building made of tin sheets and gray wood. The building sat at the foot of a wide ditch which snaked upward between a pair of hills, the higher of the two capped in white, melting snow. An olive colored Humvee was plowing its way its up the trail while another was parked beyond the fence, having not so long ago driven through the gate, breaking the rusted chain that held it.

Chris Redfield stepped out the Humvee and drew his sidearm, a .45 caliber pistol with a laser sight and flashlight fixed to the barrel. The man who got out of the Humvee with him saw him take out the gun and quickly drew his own. "Contact?" he asked.

Chris looked at him before he could conceal his exasperation. The rookie showed no sign of taking it personally; even green BSAA personnel had been around the block once or twice. "No," Chris said. "Just a feeling, and the gun won't do any good in its holster."

"Right, sir," said the rookie. Green was his name, and in terms of BSAA experience, Green he was.

Two other men in fatigues and body armor got out of the Humvee. Each carried an assault rifle and the four men approached the tin building with their guns leveled at it. It was possible someone inside might wish to shoot them, but Chris's primary concern was booby traps and biohazards. If he was lucky all he would have to deal with would be a bomb that would tear his body apart. It beat being transformed into a shambling horror, in his opinion.

He approached the door at an angle, as did Green, with the other two men behind them and farther back. There was a padlock on the door which brought back memories he would rather not have dealt with.

The last time he had breached a door, it had been at the Spencer mansion with his partner Jill Valentine. They had gone to the place to apprehend Oswald Spencer, one of Umbrella Inc.'s founders and hence the father of countless atrocities. They had found the withered old man in a pool of his own blood on the floor, still connected to the machines he had been hooked to in a desperate, pathetic attempt to keep alive as long as he could. Standing over the dead man had been a monster wearing the skin of a man, Albert Wesker. His hand dripped with Spencer's blood and what ensued was a terrifying blur of a battle from which some Chris's bones remained broken.

From across the room, their bullets had been sidestepped. Up close, they had little effect when they punctured Wesker's black coat and splattered into his flesh. Up close, he could strike them, and he had. It had been a blow to Chris's ego that Wesker had been toying with them. He was no longer human and while Chris had killed many inhuman things, none had the mind of a man. All had been bestial things, fueled by rage and unable to think. The viruses manufactured by Umbrella stripped away a person's humanity in more ways than one, but Wesker's mind had never been human to begin with in Chris's opinion.

He was not entirely sure how the fight reached its conclusion, things had been so fast, his head a swirling mass of confusion. Wesker had stopped playing and was about to kill him when Jill tackled him. They had been near a glass door which opened onto a short balcony that overlooked a gorge. Jill had gone out and over with Wesker, and that was the last Chris saw of his longtime friend and partner. Neither body was recovered, which to Chris was the worst part. There would be no closure for Jill and no guarantee Wesker had died given Chris had seen him survive things no human could.

He blinked, bringing his mind back to the task at hand. "I'll get the lock," he said as one of the riflemen started to step forward. He dealt the door two hard kicks and rather than open, its hinges broke and it fell backward into the dark building. He turned on his gun's flashlight and seeing nothing in the doorway that looked dangerous, he entered quickly, his finger on the gun's trigger.

The others came in behind him with lights and Chris saw the building was empty.

"Nothing," Green said. "It's a bust."

"Maybe," said Chris, turning his attention to the floor. "Look here. See the seam. Sloppy."

He watched the rookie's face, thinking he might have taken the "sloppy" comment as being directed at him, but Green nodded as he saw what Chris was talking about. There was a seam in the floor forming a square ten feet on each side. "A hatch?" asked Green.

"An elevator," Chris said. "No hinges, see. Just have to find the controls."

"Here!" shouted one of the riflemen. He stood next to a fuse box and had pulled it open to reveal a set of elevator buttons.

Chris nodded with approval. Johnson was the rifleman and no stranger to Umbrella's operations. "Push it," said Chris.

The floor within the seam dropped down with a mechanical sound and slid under the floor while an elevator platform rose up. There was another set of buttons on a console there, and Chris bid Green and other other rifleman, Williams, to get on with him. "Johnson, you've got our backs," Chris said.

"Shouldn't we report this?" Green said.

"Johnson's got us covered," Chris said. "Besides, there's probably nothing down there, given the crummy job they went through to hide the place."

The elevator descended, revealing an old but soundly built shaft that ended in a long, dimly lit hallway quite unlike the ramshackle building above them. "I'll take point," Chris said, walking ahead. Green was behind him with Williams bringing up the rear. The hall ended in a T junction. The wall in front of them was lined with oval shaped windows clouded with moisture and grime. To the right was a metal door, which Chris went to and signaled the other two men to keep behind him while he forced it open. It retraced into the door frame sideways and was designed to do so on its own, but whatever mechanism that opened it was not working.

The room contained shelves that had once held scientific instruments judging by the few that remained. In the center, between the shelves, were three glass tubes, each big enough to hold something the size of a man but were now dry and empty. Chris stepped inside, his gun raised, and spun around when the door slammed shut behind him.

There was shouting on both sides of the door as the room and hallway outside were flooded with lights and the sound of machinery turning on. Chris began pulling at the door while Green and Williams tried the same before they began trying to break the windows. They did not succeed and Chris could see there was no hope in trying to break through. "Stop! Stop!" he shouted. "Wait there, I'll find a way out and around."

He could hear something else under the sound of the heating and air system, something that made his stomach feel like cement had been poured into it. "No," he whispered. "No. Get out! Get back to the elevator! Run!"

He attacked the door again, pulling at it with all his might. He emptied a magazine into the glass, which flattened his bullets and displayed small white scratches. There was gunfire from the hall now, and it was not aimed at the door or glass. "Get out!" he shouted. "Get. Out!"

The sound of their bullets retreated down the hall as the hall itself filled with bobbing, moaning forms. He could barely see them through the dirty glass but knew by how they moved what they were. T-Virus carriers, a horde of them. He could see many were naked while a few wore dirty lab coats or jumpsuits. He could not tell their physical condition but could see they were ambulatory enough to pose a threat.

The gunshots gave way to screams and Chris vented his rage on the door with his fist, feeling the flesh around the fingers and knuckles swell. He stopped before his hand broke and took a deep breath, reminding himself that he would be dead too if he did not use his capacity to think.

"Looks like you botched it," said a voice he thought he recognized from behind. He spun around as the zombies outside realized there was meat behind the door and began to pound on it. "Should I let them in?" said a woman who stepped out from behind one of the glass cylinders. She wore a green tank top under a tactical vest and sported a tattered red beret. Her face was all hard lines and her eyes a piercing blue. Her hair was blond and cut short and over her shoulder was slung a small machine gun.

"Explain yourself, now," Chris said, pointing his gun at her.

She grinned and reached into her vest to pull out something square that fit between her fingers. "I asked you to meet me here so I could do just that," she said. "Too bad you brought your cronies. I told you to come alone."

"And you expected me to?" he asked, trying to keep his anger from pulling the gun's trigger. "What the hell is going on here?"

"First of all, it wasn't me who released those things. That was you when you tripped a silent alarm. Had you come alone, those two men wouldn't be dead and I'd have your undivided attention."

She had it, he thought, noting her lithe form was attractive in a clinical sense but there was something about her that kept him from feeling it. It was likely the masculine aura she gave off, but there was something else buried there, something that reminded him of Wesker. He had to quint for a moment, thinking madly that perhaps Wesker had a sister, but the resemblance did not hold up to scrutiny. "Talk, then," he said. "Try to work in some reason why I shouldn't just shoot you."

"Shoot me and I'll smash this memory card. I smash the card and you don't get to see what's on it, which would tell you all about this," she said, reaching once more into her vest and pulling out a piece of folded printer paper. She tossed it to him with uncanny accuracy and he caught it against his chest. Unfolding it, mindful of the raving horde behind him, he struggled to make sense of what he saw.

It was a color photograph of a nude woman in a cylinder not unlike the ones in the room with him, only it looked a bit more like a bed on one side. The woman's hair was long and blond and for a moment he did not recognize her. "Jill!" he said, looking at the strange woman he shared the room with. "What the hell is this supposed to be?"

"This card will tell you more," the woman said. "What it won't tell you is why I'm giving it to you, and why I chose to do it down here, like this."

She tucked the card back into her vest pocket and moved towards him, swaying her hips as she went and making him raise his gun in a threatening manner. "Stay there or I will shoot you," he said.

"Go ahead, it might make this more fun," she said, not slowing down. He backed up into the door and felt the vibrations from the zombies banging on the other side. It occurred to him the door might open suddenly, and he stepped forward, closing the distance between himself and the woman.

"Two of my men are dead," he said. "You're crazy if you think...hey!"

She came in for a kiss but grabbed his crotch instead. He jumped to the side as though he had been electrocuted and swore as he felt himself growing. -I must be messed up in the head if I can get it up here,- he thought.

"Lady, I think you've been breathing the air down here too long," he said, his gun still up. She stood with her head cocked to the side, looking halfway between amused and annoyed.

She shrugged. "I'm sorry about your men out there, but I think I'm owed a little something for my trouble here," she said. "This memory card will tell you where your partner is and some other things you might want to know, but it's not free."

"I thought you said you weren't going to tell me why you were giving it to me?" he said. "You know most women just buy me a drink and typically it works."

"This isn't why I'm giving you this information, this is just for fun. I can afford to take it with me when I leave if you want. Other people can accomplish what we need you to."

"We? What is it you want me to do? And you're not going anywhere after showing me that photo."

She looked annoyed now, and unslung her machine gun to set it on the shelf next to her. "Just cooperate and you'll have all you want," the woman said. "Keep this up and I'll leave, and if you want it to get violent, I can do that too."

Chris looked at the oval windows and saw gray and brown hands pressed against them along with some lipless faces. He looked at the woman and felt himself come to full mast. -Oh, you can't be serious,- he thought. "I don't even know your name," he said.

"Jacqueline Krauser," she said. "Call me Jacky and I'll stab you."

He sighed and wiped the sweat from his face. He looked to the zombies and could see some had blood around their mouths from having eaten Green and Williams. He thought of the photo, of the memory card, and the fact this woman, or whatever she was, did not seem overly concerned about the zombies or his gun. Trying to take the card by force might not be the best option, he conceded. "Alright, Jacqueline, but can we make it quick?"

"We'll see," she said, forcing him against one of the shelves and lifting him by the legs so he sat on it. She removed her tactical vest and her tank top revealing a pair of modest-sized breasts that bobbed from a lithe, muscular frame. She undid the front of his pants and took his cock out. "Ah, I knew it," she said, feeling its entire length. "Annette bet me you were small."

"Annette?" he said, now wondering if he had not inhaled something and was having a bad experience.

"Nobody you know," she said. "You should know me, I used to be on your side."

"On my...I have heard your name before. You...!"

She shoved him backward, hard, and he felt the power behind the blow as it nearly knocked the wind out of him. "You're slow. Guess losing your partner had an affect on you. Now that you're caught up, I'm sure you'll see my proposal here is the best option for you."

He kept still, knowing the hand around his cock was strong enough to rip it out along with his pelvis. She was spitting on him, lubing him up and stroking him from base to tip, making him stiffen more. She kept spitting, and he looked up to watch. "Keep dreaming," she said, working up another mouthful before letting it fall on him.

She tapped his leg and he lay on the shelf lengthwise while she undid her pants and slid them down to her ankles before hoping on top of him. Leaning over him, her tits tangled over his face as she positioned herself. "Little help," she said, and he held his cock straight while she guided it into her.

He felt the soft flesh clench around him like a vice and he grunted while she began to slide back and forth, her breasts wobbling in front of his eyes. He could not stifle a few gasping noises and she made no effort to keep quiet herself.

"Yeah, you like it don't lie," she whispered. "God, that's good."

Her moans mingled with the muffled ones from outside in the hall, and while his cock was being constricted he felt like he was a long way off from coming, given the circumstances. She gripped his muscular shoulders for support and began thrusting backward into him harder, making muffled slapping noised as her bare buttocks met the top of his pants. "What's wrong, Redfield, you don't like girls? Play with my tits, idiot."

He cupped once in each hand and squeezed them. Jacqueline Krauser was an easy woman to please, it seemed, as she moaned louder under his grip. He made no effort to tease her breasts, he simply squeezed them for his own pleasure and feeling their supple springiness he forgot about his surroundings for a brief instant.

Chris's tongue was out and about to give one of her nipples a lick when she began to slam into him harder and shriek. A string of curses filled the air and she felt his cock squeezed tighter, almost enough to keep it from sliding in and out of the tight, wet envelope it was in which drove him speedily towards an orgasm.

He grunted, feeling it rush out of him and into her while he squeezed her breasts tight, which drove her to scream louder. After what felt like long enough to go again, Krauser let out a deep moan and slowed down, letting Chris slip out of her. She went to the floor and was unsteady on her feet as she pulled her pants back up. He watched her taught, round buttocks disappear under her fatigue pants and she kept her muscular back to him as she put on her tank top and vest.

"Here," she said, dropping the memory card on his chest as he put his cock back his pants. "I'll show you a way out of here, but after that we part company. Don't pull any crap."

"You're going to tell what this place is, at least?" he said, sliding off the counter top.

"It was a research facility Umbrella built for cold-weather B. . Their plan was to set a few loose and see how the natives handled them. Any sightings could be written off as Yeti stories. In typical Umbrella fashion, there was a little accident, and our friends in the hallway are the result."

"None of what you're doing makes any sense," Chris said. "What is it you want me to do, and what makes you think I'll do it? If you've got Jill hostage..."

"Shut up," Krauser said, leading him to the back of the room and through a door to another similar room without glass tubes. "Once you see what's on that memory card, you'll do what it is you do, and everything else will fall into place. You don't have a choice."

"We'll see about that," he said, trying not to watch her backside as it swayed in the flickering light.

**To be continued...in Women in Red 4. **


End file.
